On Tuesday, February 24, Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and Head Coach Ben Johnson held press conferences at the NFL Combine.
Following a successful season in which the Bears surged in momentum through the city, fans were eagerly anticipating their interviews. There have been speculations about who Chicago is targeting based on last season’s outcome.
Pressure Is the Priority
It’s clear that defensive gaps were shown towards the end of the season, and this is exactly what Poles wants to fill. When asked about what he’s looking for in defensive line prospects, he said, “Motor, relentlessness, violence, explosive…continue to improve our defensive speed overall.”
Along with this, there were a multitude of defensive injuries that Poles touched on as well, specifically linemen Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner, “…if anything, training camp will be the spot where they come back, and there’s a process…that we’ll go through,” and “I expect both those guys to help us next year.”
Questions about defensive struggles were also posed to Johnson, who highlighted crucial elements he’s looking for. “We do need to pressure the quarterback at a more consistent clip,” and “I do think this draft does have some guys that could help us out in that regard.”
In short, generating pressure and restoring physicality up front have become top priorities heading into the offseason.
The Moore Question
Wide receiver D.J. Moore is a hot topic in trade discussions, given his high cap number.
Moore is a veteran and key player for the Bears, and, if traded, could bring the team a big defensive weapon. At the press conference, Poles said about trading Moore, “I got to have conversations…see what the best combination of players we can bring in.”
Furthermore, “I have nothing but great things to say about him. But this is the time where we have to look at all the scenarios.” Johnson also explained the impact Moore had on the Bears’ offense. “He probably knew all the roles of the receivers better than anybody else we had in that room.”
As the offseason unfolds, Moore remains both a cornerstone of the offense and a symbol of the calculated choices the Chicago Bears must make moving forward.
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