Ryan Poles knows exactly what comes with a move like this.
After the Bears swung the deal for Jeffery Simmons on Thursday, sending first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a 2027 fourth-rounder to Tennessee while also receiving a 2028 fifth-round pick, the message was clear: Chicago is pushing its chips in. But that kind of gamble doesn’t come without a price, and Poles made it clear on Friday that he understands the pressure attached to it.
Speaking to reporters, the Bears general manager pushed back on the idea that this is simply a “(bleep) them picks” operation in the mold of the Rams’ all-in approach.
"One thing I wanna hit. I know it’s kind of a joke that goes around, but ‘F- them picks’ is like a big thing", Poles said, via CHGO.
"That’s really not what we’re about. I know it took a lot to get this done.
But, we absolutely believe that the draft and bringing in young talent is a way that you sustain success around here. I’m challenging myself and our crew that for the picks that we do have, we have to hit.”
"We have to be great with our undrafted free agent process. And whatever tier of free agency we’re working in, which we’ll have constraints, we have to hit there, too.”
That’s the real balancing act now for Chicago. The Bears have chosen certainty in Simmons over the uncertainty of two future first-rounders, and with some of their key offensive pieces still on cheaper deals, the front office is clearly trying to take advantage of a window that’s open right now.
But moving those picks leaves a very specific burden on the rest of the roster-building process. The Bears can’t afford to whiff when it comes to the rest of the draft, especially across Day 2 and Day 3, where teams often hope to find the kind of value that keeps a contender stocked.
That’s also where Poles’ record comes into focus. As Kole Noble of AtoZ Sports noted, his results on non-first-round picks haven’t exactly screamed efficiency.
From 2022 through 2025, Poles made 30 selections outside the first round. Of those, 13 are still on the roster, and five are not currently starters.
On the encouraging side, five of those 13 came from the 2025 class, and three already look like they could become long-term pieces.
So the Simmons move doesn’t just add a proven defender. It changes the terms of how the Bears have to operate from here on out.
There will be less room to miss, less room to hide, and a much higher standard for every draft pick, undrafted signing, and bargain-bin free-agent addition that follows. Poles knows it, and he said as much: the next two drafts have to be hits.
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