Chicago Bears: Ryan Poles’ resurgence of the Tampa 2 defense

Going into free agency, I made the same mistake as many of our passionate fans. I believed that I knew Ryan Poles’ strategy.

After the drama surrounding Roquan Smith during the offseason last year, Poles had apparently made it clear that he was unwilling to pay a premium for non-premium positions in today’s NFL.

Roquan Smith called his bluff. Little did he know that Ryan Poles has a poker face. He subsequently dealt Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2nd round pick.

When free agency began, Ryan Poles was seemingly sticking to his convictions by signing T.J. Edwards to a team-friendly three-year contract.

The Chicago Bears and Ryan Poles clearly have a plan in place for the defense.

Media pundits agreed this was parred for the Ryan Poles course. He acquired an under-the-radar player who could immediately contribute to a talent-starved Bears defense. In fact, many believed he was an absolute steal.

What would be next? An edge rusher, a three-technique, or an offensive tackle, surely. A “premium” position.

Rumors were rampant that the Chicago Bears were after numerous players. With the most cap space in the NFL, Bears fans dreamed of signing a stud offensive tackle to protect Justin Fields for years to come or a Tommie Harris-type three-technique. Nobody could have predicted what would happen next: