NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears’ need for help at wide receiver is one of football’s worst-kept secrets.
You know it. I know it. And so does Bears GM Ryan Poles.
But the first-year general manager is preaching patience, especially with the NFL Draft coming in hot.
“It’s funny, because there’s a lot of panic, like, ‘You need receivers,’” Poles said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I think Davante [Adams] was taken in the second, right? So there’s talent there. …It’s not always going to be like that, I get it. And we’re going to be patient. If it’s not there, we’re not going to do it and force it, either.”
Or, to put it differently: R-E-L-A-X.
The NFL Draft is coming. Poles has two second-round picks to play with when Day 2 begins. And judging by that quip citing Davante Adams being a second-round, perhaps Poles has eyes for second-round targets who could be chosen with the 39th and/or 48th picks. As we were discussing in Bullets earlier, there are options.
Have the Bears done enough to support quarterback Justin Fields this offseason? Hardly. Moreover, that they haven’t bolstered the receiving corps to our liking doesn’t mean they still can’t do so in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Mandatory minicamps won’t start until June. Training camp’s doors aren’t swinging open until July. Preseason games won’t kick off until August. And the NFL’s next game of consequence won’t take place until September. In other words, there is still so much time to pass between now and when rosters are finalized. With that in mind, I’m cool with Poles preaching patience. I’ll take his message to heart. Heck, we all should.
Remember how many times you felt as if the Pace-Nagy regime wasn’t seeing the same things you were? Well, Poles openly discussing the Bears’ need at receiver should quell some of the concerns about history repeating itself with a new leadership group.
The new regime needs to address needs at receiver (and elsewhere) before it can properly judge Fields for who he is now and who he could become moving forward. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying. The team had reported interest in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Robert Woods before they landed elsewhere. There was also a connection to Amari Cooper before his deal with Cleveland went down. Having lines in the water is a good start, but at some point, Poles needs to reel in some fish. He knows that, which is half the battle.
Good thing there are so many receiver targets still available.
