Chicago Bears Open Thread Question of the Day: Did Ryan Poles hit a home run?

Poles locked up Kyler Gordon until 2028 to add to his already remarkable offseason. Would you do anything differently?

Crown ‘em! King Poles’ successful offseason continues to hum along with the widely lauded extension of Kyler Gordon.

Throughout his tenure, one of Ryan Poles’ best skills has been to find value in the extensions of talented players. His extensions of Jaylon Johnson and Cole Kmet look fantastic in retrospect, as neither player is being paid higher than 8th at their respective positions. So the extension of the versatile Gordon at a $13.3 million rate bodes well.

Going into the offseason, high off of a last second victory over the Packers in Green Bay, Poles got to work quickly. With clear needs at Head Coach, OL, DL, and young talent to extend, it’s obvious that Poles has met (or exceeded) expectations. Here is a full list of additions, subtractions, and extensions for the Chicago Bears this offseason:

• Additions: Head Coach Ben Johnson, Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen, Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle, Offensive Guard Joe Thuney, Offensive Guard Jonah Jackson, Center Drew Dalman, Defensive Tackle Grady Jarrett, Defensive End Dayo Odeyingbo, Wide Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, Wide Receiver and Returner Devin Duvernay, Tight End Durham Smythe.
• Subtractions: Defensive End DeMarcus Walker, Tight End Gerald Everett, Tight End Marcedes Lewis, Defensive End Darrell Taylor, Offensive Guard Teven Jenkins, Defensive End Jacob Martin, Right Guard Matt Pryor, Wide Receiver DeAndre Carter, Linebacker Jack Sanborn, Cornerback Jaylon Jones, Offensive Tackle Larry Borom, Defensive Tackle Byron Cowart, Wide Receiver Keenan Allen (?)
• Re-Signed or Extended: Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, Running Back Travis Homer, Cornerback Kyler Gordon, Defensive Tackle Chris Williams

To me, this looks like a GM who removed a lot of underperforming or bottom roster talent and replaced it with impact players/coaches. Poles appears to have accomplished everything he has needed to accomplish before we have even gotten to the NFL draft.

A reminder for anyone living in a Bear cave, the Bears have THREE picks in the top 41 selections, ensuring that there is still more impact talent on the way.

So I ask you this - has Ryan Poles hit a home run with his offseason?

I don’t think this requires significant analysis, but my answer is a resounding yes.

• Get a top tier Head Coach that is offensive minded? Check.
• Shore up both sides of the lines with established talent and high upside youth? Check.
• Extend a young and talented player that you drafted? Check.
• Infuse the locker room with veterans who have performed and won at the highest levels? Check.
• Maintain flexibility in the upcoming and future drafts so that you can take top tier talent regardless of position? Check!

I struggle to envision a realistic scenario that far exceeds the work that Ryan Poles has done this offseason to shore up the roster and coaching staff. How does this equate to the regular season? It remains to be seen. Young players like Caleb Williams,...