What the NFL trade deadline tells us about the future of this Chicago Bears regime

Trade signals Ryan Poles will stay whether we like it or not

Like many, I have been highly critical of Ryan Poles given how this season has turned out. Head coach Matt Eberflus deserves all the blame for the Bears' current record this season, and 5-20 record overall. But Poles deserves equal blame for how this season has turned out so far, as he is the one who hired Eberflus, and after completely tearing down this team last year, he has added plenty of talent on both sides of the ball this past off-season.

Unfortunately, the weaknesses on both offense and defense were not properly addressed, and Poles had to give up a high second-round pick once again to address it. Last year, Justin Fields needed a wide receiver, so they acquired Chase Claypool from Pittsburgh, whose work ethic never matched his talent, and was forced to cut bait with him earlier this season. It will be a big stain mark on his resume no matter how his tenure turns out.

Still, I will say this about Poles. He took a big swing once despite how Chase Claypool trade turned out. He is not shy and has strong conviction about himself and this team. He would not be in a position to pull off this trade if he was not in good standing with his boss, the team president Kevin Warren. And this week's trade cemented further proof that Poles will remain in control whether we like it or not.