The Bears fans have reasons to be underwhelmed. But do not expect Poles to change his approach anytime soon.
I know it is not totally fair to judge an offseason after only four days. But there are two reasons why the fans are not thrilled with how this off-season has gone so far for the Bears. First is his reluctance to spend on big names. Both Danielle Hunter and Christian Wilkins were linked to the Bears, yet the contracts both signed were either too rich or the Bears were never interested in the first place.
Second, the positions the Bears still need to fill remain unfilled. WR2&3, defensive tackle, and another edge rusher remain unfilled. Spending big does not always translate to success. But it is also understandable that the fans expected them to be more aggressive. It seems Poles is more interested in winning the contract negotiations and keeps settling for 1-year deal with a bunch of players like Yannick Ngaukwe and Robert Tonyan last season.
While Poles has stated more than once that he will be selective during free agency and wants to build the team through the draft, he only has five draft picks right now. He has also traded second-round picks for Chase Claypool and Montez Sweat in the last two seasons
He can trade down to get more picks, presumably the 9th overall pick this year. But Poles must ensure they have the proper draft partner and that the players other teams want remain available.
Between bringing back Matt Eberflus and the lack of big-name signings, there is no doubt that frustration amongst the Bears fans towards Poles has never been higher. Still, it looks like Ryan Poles will continue to march to the beat of his drum whether the fans like it or not.