All focus on the draft for obvious reasons. Holding the #1 overall pick will dominate the headlines. However, the Chicago Bears also have the most salary cap spot of any team in the NFL this spring. That means GM Ryan Poles has big bucks to spend improving his roster. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he handed out half a dozen multi-year deals to players he thinks can help this team improve. It depends on which players will be available when the promotion starts.
Despite this, Poles has remained true to his embassy since taking office. He doesn’t want to rely on free hand as the primary means of building the roster. This is how teams get into trouble. Its goal is to build by design. Free agency isn’t about making huge swings. It will be about finding value for money and looking for players that fit what the bears want. Make informed decisions. Poles spoke about it with Jeff Joniak during an interview for Bears Youtube. One quote stood out.
“You want to be healthy because you want to be flexible, not just this year, but in the future.”
Ryan Poles wants to keep his options open.
A smart team doesn’t throw away all their money once they have it. You should budget for the cap space and save it for opportunities when they present themselves. The Kansas City Chiefs are among the best here. Keep in mind this is a competing franchise each year. Patrick Mahomes is one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. However, that hasn’t stopped his team from making calculated aggressive moves in free hands. In 2021, they added celebrity security guard Joe Thuney with a lucrative contract. Last year, they again lashed out at Justin Reid’s safety. That’s because they kept their cap flexible.
That’s Ryan Poles’ goal. He will spend this year. This is inevitable. Just don’t expect the bears to go mad. They’ll add some notable pieces that will fill out the depth map and likely have tens of millions left to wear through 2024 and beyond. They never have to go free when designing well. They are free to target players who they believe will give them a chance to win a championship rather than save them from another losing season.