Chicago Bears: Poles Could Make Some Surprise Moves This Offseason

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has some big decisions to make this offseason. Some of them could end up being very surprising.

The 2023 NFL offseason will turn out to be one of the most impactful in the history of the Chicago Bears. The franchise has the most salary cap space available for free agency. Additionally, the team has eight draft picks, including the number one overall pick.

One way or another, what general manager Ryan Poles does will be impactful. Either he makes the right moves and puts the Chicago Bears on the path to becoming contenders for the next decade or he doesn’t and the team continues to struggle in irrelevancy.

There is a lot of attention paid to Poles. People are looking forward to seeing the Bears return. The NFL is stronger with Chicago being a powerhouse.

That means that Poles has some big decisions to make. There are certain players he needs to evaluate. Some are free agents while others are draft prospects.

Additionally, there are players currently on the roster who might not be a fit in the rebuild moving forward. Poles already showed that he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on letting veterans, even popular ones, go. Last offseason, he made cuts and trades that raised some ire of the fans. He could do the same this offseason. Here are some surprise moves Poles can make this offseason.

Cody Whitehair, OG

The offensive line could be the unit that receives the most overhaul. For the better part of a decade, the unit has struggled to protect the quarterback. Over the past two seasons, the line gave up 116 sacks.

There will be a lot of changes made to the line. This is something most people agree with. However, where do the changes happen?

Well, we know that center Sam Mustipher and right tackle Larry Borom struggled. Those are the obvious areas of change. There could be a surprise there, however.

Poles could decide to make a surprise move concerning guard Cody Whitehair.

Whitehair has been a standout lineman for the Chicago Bears. He moved from guard to center and back to guard over his time in Chicago.

However, Whitehair is on the wrong side of 30. Poles is looking to go younger and more athletic. Furthermore, Whitehair gives the Bears more than a $23.75 million cap hit over the next two seasons. If they release him, the Bears save about $15 million in that same period.

Yes, Poles has a fat wallet this offseason. However, he’d like to have some flexibility in the next couple of years as well.

Does Poles want to spend that money on someone who might start to break down? Whitehair missed five games due to injuries in 2022. As he ages that won’t get any better.

Poles could decide to make a change and part ways with Whitehair.

Teven Jenkins, OG

Teven Jenkins had his troubles at the start of training camp in 2022. After back surgery in 2021 and missing 11 games, he thought he had the starting left tackle job.

That didn’t work out, though. Braxton Jones came out of nowhere and beat out Jenkins for that spot. Then Jenkins tried out the right tackle but that didn’t work out either.

Suddenly, Jenkins found himself as a backup. The coaches then tried him out at right guard but he didn’t like it. However, with no other choice he took to it.

Jenkins did a good job when he was at guard. However, the injury bug still hit him. He missed four more games in 2022.

Poles can decide that Jenkins won’t be able to stay healthy consistently enough to be effective. Another team might be able to take a chance on him and his rookie contract. There were reportedly a few teams interested in him when there were rumors of him being available.

Eddie Jackson, FS

The odds of this one happening are admittedly low. After a couple of seasons in which he struggled to maintain his All-Pro level of play, Eddie Jackson returned to his ball-hawking form.

Jackson had 4 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in 12 games. He was also on his way to recording a career-high in tackles. He suffered an injury that ended his season, however.

Jackson interacted well with rookie Jaquan Brisker. Brisker played well in the box. With him playing well, Jackson was able to roam and move to the ball. He returned to form without having to worry about what the strong safety was doing.

The Bears save themselves over $20 million if they part ways with Jackson.

This will be a tough one for Poles. After two struggling seasons Poles kept Jackson. Jackson rewarded him by returning to form. Will Poles then try to ship him out? While the savings are outstanding, likely wants to give the Jackson/Brisker duo to get even better.