3. Signed young players
Chicago Bears fans are always screaming for the big name, but not thinking about the age, the possible fall-off, or the injury situations. We all want the team to sign a big name such as Odell Beckham, but are not thinking of his injury, how his age fits into the Bears timeline and anything like that.
It is why the team has not and likely will not sign a free agent like JC Tretter. Poles focused on taking shots on young players who are getting their second NFL contract in free agency. He is betting on players who need a change of scenery, not players holding onto their last days.
Lucas Patrick is 28 years old, Nicholas Morrow is 26, Justin Jones, and Equaninmeous St. Brown are 25. They could have signed 31-year-old Tretter, 30-year-old Anthony Hitchens, Ndamukong Suh, and Emmanuel Sanders, but they have guys with around four years of age difference. It makes it worth taking the shot on these players rather than the one-year rentals.
If the Bears can hit on these names at reasonable prices, they can go into the next offseason with a chance to build around this group. This gives them viable options for the future as well.