Bears GM reveals reasoning behind franchise-altering move
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been a busy man this off-season. Poles pulled the trigger on a huge trade of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. The Bears sent the top pick to the Carolina Panthers for a package of picks and star receiver DJ Moore. Recently, Poles joined "NFL Players: Second […]
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been a busy man this off-season.
Poles pulled the trigger on a huge trade of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. The Bears sent the top pick to the Carolina Panthers for a package of picks and star receiver DJ Moore.
Recently, Poles joined "NFL Players: Second Acts," a podcast hosted by former players Roman Harper and Charles "Peanut" Tillman.
Poles was asked about what led up to the trade, and specifically about Moore's inclusion.
"The DJ Moore aspect, I gotta hear it," proclaimed Harper. "How did you pull that off?"
"Obviously you do your homework of what teams are looking to move up and you start looking at their roster," explained Poles. "So you go back and forth and have those conversations that go over a couple of weeks, and there are some non-negotiables. DJ was that for us."
Perhaps most important was the following quote from Poles:
"We wanted a player that can really help Justin be successful."
Moore should certainly fit that criteria. Since his rookie season in 2018, Moore has had at least 55 receptions and 780 receiving yards in every season.
Moore's best season in terms of yardage came in 2020 when he collected 1,193 yards. In 2022, Moore had a mix of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and PJ Walker throwing him the ball, and he still managed to set a career-high in touchdowns with seven.
Later in the interview, Harper wanted to know how NFL deals go down. Harper asked if teams start with their best deals or if they start with the most favorable for their side.
"Both sides start with their most favorable sell and then you work in from there," explained Poles. The young GM explained that nobody comes out and says exactly what they want from the beginning.
This entire interview is a fascinating peak behind the curtain of the NFL business world. Poles was comfortable talking about the roster management process and provided some good insight.
Check out the full interview here.
