Remember just a few months ago when Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles held a joint press conference with team president Kevin Warren to announce the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus? Bears fans around the country analyzed every word that was said and every bit of body language exhibited by the two men, and many concluded that Poles would be the next one out the door.
What a difference an offseason makes, because Poles not only looks secure in his job, he's the early frontrunner for Executive of the Year for the way he's handled the weeks since the season ended. Firstm he conducted an extensive head coaching search, one that led him to the biggest fish in the pond in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Not content to sit on his laurels, Poles attacked the trade market and free agency the way Bill Swerski's Superfans attack a polish sausage. He knew that the offensive and defensive lines were the biggest areas of need after the way those units underperformed last year, and he's already made multiple moves to turn them from weaknesses into strengths.
There's still much to do before training camp rolls around, most notably the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears have the No. 10 pick and two second-round selections, so this will again be a chance for Poles to flex his muscles and improve the team in a meaningful way. Before the Bears are on the clock though, let's hand out grades for all of Poles' major moves so far.
Hiring Ben Johnson as head coach: A+
Turning the franchise around begins and ends with Johnson, who in many ways is the polar opposite of previous head coach Matt Eberflus. Johnson is young, exciting, and innovative. Eberflus felt like an overmatched uncle filling in for the head coach whenever he had to give a pep talk.
Johnson turned the Lions' offense into one of the most dynamic units in the NFL, and he did it with Jared Goff at quarterback. Now he gets to work with Caleb Williams.
Johnson was seen around the league as the prize catch of this year's coaching pool. No head coach signing is ever a sure thing, but the Bears got the guy everybody wanted, and they did it by putting their money where their mouth is for possibly the first time in franchise history. For now, that has to count for something, which is why it gets an A+ grade.
Hiring Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator: B+
It's funny how offensive and defensive coordinators are viewed so differently. Everyone is always looking for the young, hot offensive mind, but a good defensive coordinator hire is usually the name that everyone knows already.
Dennis Allen isn't going to knock most fans' socks off, not after his less-than-mediocre run as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, but he did really good work as the team's defensive coordinator before taking the top job.
Allen's defenses frequently ranked in the top 10 in scoring and yards allowed despite being strapped for talent on account of New Orleans' perpetual salary cap hell. That's thanks to an aggressive scheme that is going to play really well with fans that remember Buddy Ryan's 46 defense.
Hiring Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator: B+
Sometimes you have to grade the optics of a move rather than the move itself, and the hiring of Declan Doyle feels like one of those instances. This man is only 29 years old, which means he doesn't exactly have a lot on tape to judge him by, but the thing that jumped out when the Bears poached him from the Broncos is how unanimously everyone in Denver seemed to love him.
Johnson will be calling plays in Chicago. This hiring tells me that he's not looking for a yes man to tell him how great he is. He wants someone that is going to innovate and push the envelope and challenge him with new concepts.
We've seen how a guy like Sean McVay can rise through the ranks at such a young age to become one of the most respected coaches in the game. It's early, but Doyle seems to be on that same path. Bears fans should be grateful that he's coming to Chicago.
Trading for Jonah Jackson: B
Poles had a mandate this offseason to improve the offensive line, especially on the interior, and in the name of Jay Hilgenberg, I think he did it. He first traded a sixth-round pick to the Rams for guard Jonah Jackson, a pittance to pay for a player that was a Pro Bowler under Johnson in Detroit.
Jackson only played four games for the Rams last year due to a shoulder injury, which is why this grade isn't higher than a B right now. His contract had two years and about $35 million on it when the Bears acquired him, and Poles has since added another year and $17 million to it.
There's definitely an element of risk-reward to this move, but given Jackson's age and past success with Johnson, this is the kind of smart gamble that could pay big dividends down the road, and it only took a sixth-round pick to pull it off.
Trading for Joe Thuney: A+
Shortly after trading for Jackson, the Bears further fortified the line by getting Joe Thuney from the Chiefs. Thuney was a First Team All-Pro last year and a foundational piece in Kansas City's dynasty, so this is an absolute home run.
Thuney is one of the very best guards in the game. Together with Jackson, he represents a huge upgrade over Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis (no disrespect intended to Jenkins, much disrespect intended to Davis). He has championship experience with the Chiefs and the Patriots before that, and he'll give a young offensive line some needed leadership and veteran experience. Don't be surprised if Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright make a leap now that Thuney is up front with them.
If there's any drawback to the Thuney deal, it's that he's 32, but he should still have several great years in him. Caleb Williams is much safer now than he was two months ago, and that's all we need to hear. What fourth-round pick could provide those same assurances?
Signing Drew Dalman: A-
After locking up both guard positions, Poles turned his attention to center, which had a vacancy due to the free-agent status of Coleman Shelton. Shelton was far from the worst of the Bears' problems in the trenches last year, but I have to commend Poles for being relentless in his search for roster upgrades.
Drew Dalman was the top center on the free agent market, and a guy that every Bears fan had at or near the top of their offseason wishlist. Poles got it done by signing him away from Atlanta on the first day of the unofficial tampering period.
Dalman is set to be the second-highest paid center in the league, and to that I say GOOD. Poles has spared no expense in keeping Caleb Williams upright after he was sacked 68 times last year, and I wouldn't be surprised if he added a couple of promising prospects in the draft, as well.
Signing Dayo Odeyingbo: B
The Bears were in dire need of a pass rusher to play opposite Montez Sweat, and it was clear that Poles had a plan when he released DeMarcus Walker before free agency began. It's difficult to get too excited about the signing of former Colt Dayo Odeyingbo, because his production last year doesn't exactly match the money he's about to make.
On the plus side, he's young and had to have been targeted by Allen as a fit for his scheme. I trust that above all else. Odeyingbo did have eight sacks two seasons ago, and at an absolute minimum he should make more of an impact than Walker, who recorded only seven sacks in two seasons in Chicago.
Pro Football Focus named Odeyingbo one of the top five value signings of the offseason, so even though he isn't a household name yet, maybe he's about to be.
Signing Grady Jarrett: B+
Dalman wasn't the only Falcon that the Bears acquired. Much in the same way Poles added a talented veteran to the offensive line by trading for Thuney, he did the same for the defensive line by signing Jarrett, who has been a stalwart presence in Atlanta for his entire 10-year career.
Jarrett will be the perfect mentor for Gervon Dexter, but he still has plenty left in the tank himself. He'll help shore up a Bears run defense that fell off dramatically last year, and after an introductory press conference in which he spoke so passionately about joining the Bears, he's already become a fan favorite before ever playing a down.
Signing Olamide Zaccheaus: B
It's looking unlikely that Keenan Allen will be back in navy and orange next year, because the Bears just recently signed Olamide Zaccheaus away from the Commanders. Zaccheaus isn't nearly the receiving threat that Allen is (he caught a career-high 45 balls last year, whereas Allen's career low is 66, which he did in an injury-shortened season), but he's only 27 and much better fits the Bears' new timeline.
Zaccheaus has experience as a kick returner, and he's an excellent blocker in the run game. There's no risk to bringing him on, because he's only on a one-year deal. If he proves to be a great fit, the Bears should easily be able to sign him long-term, but in the meantime, they can still keep their options open by drafting and developing another receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
Bears overall offseason grade: A
Every team feels like they do a great job in the offseason, but there's no way even an impartial observer could look at what Poles has engineered and give him anything less than an A. He signed the top available head coach and built out his staff with the perfect blend of youth and experience. He traded for two high-end guards for no more than a fourth- and sixth-round pick, and addressed the rest of the team's major needs by signing the best available center, a rock-solid veteran defensive tackle, a promising young defensive end and a multifaceted third receiver.
The second half of the season was a miserable time to be a Bears fan, but in mere months, Poles has completely turned that around. We're back, baby.