Bears GM Ryan Poles shows discipline yet again in trading DE Robert Quinn

The hallmark of general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuild of the Bears has been his discipline. It’ll take at least another year to see if his plans were prudent, but there’s no question he has stuck to the course he plotted when he took the job in January.

That was to his detriment, it seemed, when he made only budget-friendly signings at offensive line and receiver in free agency rather than aggressively fortifying those positions to better facilitate quarterback Justin Fields’ progress.

But in the case of trading defensive end Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a 2023 fourth-round pick Wednesday, Poles reiterated he’s looking far down the road. He didn’t fall into the trap of believing the Bears were better than their 3-4 record after their thrilling blowout of the Patriots on Monday night.

It’s still a rebuild. And Poles is a realist. That’s a key distinction between him and his predecessor, Ryan Pace, who either couldn’t or wouldn’t see what nearly everyone knew about his recent Bears teams: They weren’t close. And his inability or unwillingness to accept that led to the mess Poles has had to clean up. Seeing clearly, rather than seeing what you want, is essential to the job. It comes down to facts, not feelings.

That’s another test Poles has passed. The longer he has been on the job, the more many of his moves have looked smart.

He staked his employment on hiring coach Matt Eberflus, who continually conveys competence. He played hardball with linebacker Roquan Smith over a contract extension and won. And now he has resisted the emotional rush of a big win and held steady in his plan for 2023 and beyond.

“In the moment, it’s tough because you lose a guy [Quinn] who’s a captain who we all voted for, but you understand they’ve got business to do upstairs and they’ve got the best interest of the organization going forward,” tight end Cole Kmet said Thursday. “You understand that, but it sucks to lose a guy like Rob.”

Poles talks about running the Bears as though he’ll be doing it for the next decade, and although this team isn’t known for giving general managers time, his actions have so far followed his words.

Here’s what Poles has lined up for the coming offseason: a full slate of draft picks for the first time since 2016, plus the fourth-rounder from the Quinn trade and an NFL-best $125.7 million in salary-cap space.

That’s nearly double the space of the next highest team, the Falcons, and although Poles will spend some of it on Smith, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and possibly Kmet and running back David Montgomery, he’ll still have plenty of resources to add new talent.

A sensible timeline for the Bears is to use this season to free themselves from bad contracts, compete for the playoffs next season and ramp up to real contention in 2024 — all contingent, of course, on Fields being the franchise quarterback rather than the Bears having to look for a new one in the draft.

But make no mistake, this was the season to tear it down and start the rebuild. Pace had that chance after the 2019 season but convinced himself the Bears were on their way up when it was quite the opposite. Poles’ Bears actually are on their way up, and it’s on him to gauge how quickly they’re moving.

It’s still a multi-year rebuild, regardless of the win Monday, and veering from that would have been a mistake. As good and beloved as Quinn is, it always made sense to trade him. If there’s any criticism, it’s that Poles didn’t do it earlier.

As a first-time general manager, he still has to prove to everyone that his plan is a good one, but he already has shown without a doubt that he’s committed to do it.