Getty General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on prior to a preseason game.
Based on recent comments from general manager Ryan Poles, the Chicago Bears are looking to add more players after the team makes its final roster cuts on August 30.
Poles, who became the seventh general manager in the history of the franchise in January after spending 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, appeared on ESPN’s pregame telecast before the Bears took on the Seattle Seahawks in their second preseason contest on August 18.
A wave of injuries has hit Chicago’s locker room, with starting center Lucas Patrick going down with a hand injury and one of his backups, rookie Doug Kramer, seeing his season end with a leg injury. The team has also been without wide receivers Byron Pringle and N’Keal Harry for several weeks, with Harry’s injury keeping him out until at least October.
Considering this, it’s not surprising Poles told ESPN that his team “in two weeks, may not look exactly as it looks tonight.” Credit to The Barroom Network for capturing the quote.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Bears May Be in the Market for Another WR
Poles also mentioned, per Windy City Gridiron’s Erik Duerrwaechter, that he’ll be looking to add a wide receiver on the larger side for quarterback Justin Fields.
Many of the wide receivers currently available in the free agent market are on the smaller side, including T.Y. Hilton, Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders and Will Fuller, so they may not be what Poles is looking for.
One name to watch is Demarcus Robinson, who was recently released by the Las Vegas Raiders. Robinson has size (he’s 6’1″ and 203 pounds) and he also has a connection to the current Bears GM. The Chiefs drafted the wideout in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, and he spent the 2016-2021 seasons in Kansas City, so Poles knows him well.
A trade is also possible, with the 6-foot-3, 207-pound Denzel Mims of the New York Jets a top candidate in that department. It likely wouldn’t require more than a 2023 sixth-round pick to get Mims, so keep an eye on him, as well.
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
What’s Up With the Roquan Smith Situation?
No one seems to know where the team is in negotiations with starting linebacker Roquan Smith, who requested a trade on August 9.
“There’s no real update on that front,” Poles told WBBM Newsradio 780 ahead of Chicago’s first preseason game on August 13, via Chris Emma. “I’ll say it over and over, I love the player and what he’s done on the field. This is a very unique situation that we’re handling the best that we can. We hope to have him in a Chicago Bears uniform. … It’s a very unique situation. But we are communicating with him. Hopefully when we get through this game, we can come to some type of resolution.”
Another game has passed since Poles made the above statement, and no deal has gotten done. Smith, who has been “holding-in” — present in team meetings but not practicing or playing — is subject to fines for every practice and game he misses, so the likely outcome is that the fifth-year linebacker will suit up when the regular season begins for Chicago on September 11. Trading Smith is still possible, and while it’s unlikely, shouldn’t be ruled out. Stay tuned.
If Ryan Poles doesn’t believe Roquan will take the deal he’s offering, move him. This is your franchise and you can’t be held hostage by an inside linebacker. (This isn’t a QB or WR or pass rusher.)
The Bears have remarkable buy-in right now from the locker room. Except one guy.
READ NEXT: Jaquan Brisker’s Former Coach Has High Praise for Bears Rookie: Exclusive