Bears’ initial 53-man roster continues alarming pattern for Ryan Poles but it requires some much-needed context
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is getting a lot of flack again after another year of roster cuts, which included even more failed draft picks that finally get kicked to the curb.
The Chicago Bears released their initial 53-man roster on Sunday after a slew of cuts, releases, and players moving to the PUP and IR lists. The biggest takeaway was the roster turnover and youth movement under head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who now have full control of this team.
Chicago kept 11 rookies on the 53-man roster, and only 20 players remain from the pre-Ben Johnson era while moving on from multiple former draft picks in the process.
The real conversation here centers around general manager Ryan Poles and the situation surrounding his full tenure so far, because multiple misses from the Poles draft era before Johnson’s arrival were finally kicked to the curb during this cutdown weekend, adding even more to his alarming draft pattern.
Ryan Poles’ draft misses continue to pile up after seeing the Chicago Bears’ initial 53-man roster
Before getting to roster cuts, this conversation goes back a few hours before cuts were announced to the Gervon Dexter Sr. trade early Sunday morning, when Poles’ former second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was dealt away.
Hours later, another member of that same draft class, cornerback Terell Smith, was waived. Then you get to the 2025 NFL Draft class, where offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie was waived going into his third year in Chicago.
And then you think back to the previous draft busts of the early Ryan Poles Era. Players such as Velus Jones Jr., Zacch Pickens, Tyler Scott, Travis Bell, Kendall Williamson, Zachary Thomas and others. It’s not a good trend when you follow it back and see which draft picks are still actually on this team.
Even one pick from Ben Johnson’s first draft class stung yesterday. Ruben Hyppolite II, a fourth-round linebacker selection that Poles was pumping the table for more than anybody after the pick, lasted just one year before getting cut from the roster. While Dennis Allen made it a point that he wanted faster linebackers, the scouting department took a reach in Hyppolite. And the confidence Poles showed after that selection made this move all the more glaring for a player that couldn’t stick on the roster one year later.
Reality is, the Bears are on an upward trajectory, and Ryan Poles is a part of it
Now let’s talk about the context. The Bears are on an upward trajectory as an organization, and Poles is a part of that. The Bears signed him to his extension, aligned him with Johnson, and the two have a strong working relationship. This isn’t a call for his job by any means, and the drafting/roster situation should continue improve with Johnson in the building and driving decisions.
Still, when you look at how this roster was constructed, I get there is some concern. However, the offensive line was finally improved last year, which was a great move by the organization. The priority this year was upgrading the defense, and we’ll see if they actually accomplished that. And while a lot of the spending and lack of draft hits on the defensive side of the ball have held the Bears back, and traces back to Poles, the Bears are finally moving on from bad decisions and will continue to do so into next year (I’m looking at you Dayo Odeyingbo).
Ryan Poles will have plenty to answer for later this week
Poles is expected to speak to the media later this week, and there will be no shortage of questions. Kyler Gordon’s status and what’s actually going on there will be a big update to watch, as the former second-round draft pick could be on the outs sooner than later too.
Beyond that, Poles has a lot to atone for in that press conference, from the Dexter trade to the Hyppolite cut to the broader pattern of draft misses that continue to surface every time this roster gets trimmed. That press conference will be something to watch closely to see what he has and the accountability he shows as the Bears finalize their roster heading into the season.
But, I do think the Bears are heading in the right direction with this coaching staff and the roster they are constructing. At this point, Poles just needs to take the backseat and let Johnson and Allen cook. There’s no harm in that approach and it’s clear that’s the structure the Bears need to have to get this team closer to Super Bowl contention.
