5 best decisions Ryan Poles made in year one as Chicago Bears GM
1. Chicago Bears have a cheap starter at left tackle
The Chicago Bears may have their future starter at left tackle. That is pretty impressive. Braxton Jones played every snap at left tackle this season. For a fifth-round rookie coming from Southern Utah, that is an impressive feat in itself.
Not many days three players get chances to start week one. So, not many day-three players start the entire season. Between injuries, poor play, and the rookie wall, it is rarer than fans realize.
Braxton Jones was up and down for sure, but nothing he did should make fans think that he is going to get replaced. Not with all the other issues on the roster. So, for at least two years the Chicago Bears will be getting some of the cheapest left tackle play in the NFL.
Finding any type of starter in the fifth round is tough. However, if Jones shows growth next year, the Chicago Bears just pulled off a left tackle starter, which is a huge win.
There are 15 tackles who make over $15M on average while Jones will be under $1M every year for the entirety of his contract. Getting a starter at 1/15 of the price that most teams are paying allows them to upgrade significantly at other positions.
Jones needs to show more, but the fact that he should enter year two as the starter is meaningful. If that growth comes, this pick will be on his resume for years to come.