Bears GM Ryan Poles reveals fascinating trade strategy

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles meets with the media at Halas Hall.

The Chicago Bears began the offseason with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they traded the pick before free agency even started. On March 10, Chicago sent the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers for the No. 9 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 61 overall), a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and star wide receiver D.J. Moore.

It was a massive haul for the Bears, with the inclusion of Moore — a 25-year-old wide receiver reasonably under contract for three more years — particularly shocking the NFL world.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles orchestrated that deal for the Bears, and on Monday at the NFL league meeting in Phoenix, he revealed some interesting details about the trade process.

Poles told the media that four teams made “good offers” for the No. 1 pick, and a “bunch” of teams were considering it before deciding they weren’t ready to make a move of that magnitude, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

“I could tell they had done enough work where they were comfortable sitting it out for what we were asking,” Poles said, according to CHGO’s Adam Hoge.

Additionally, Poles told the media that he didn’t want to use teams’ trade offers against each other to drive up the price, according to Cronin.

Poles reportedly said, “I’ve had that happen to me in negotiating settings with agents. So I really don’t do that. Specifically shop deals around. I just I don’t like that. But if I have something better, I have something better and we can keep talking.”

So, Poles didn’t want to take offers and then use those offers to present to other teams and create — or heighten — a bidding war.

Some evaluators may question the method, and especially if the trade return doesn’t end up being great. But Poles got a return that was widely applauded, and his approach shows that he greatly values relationships around the league. That’s a trait that’s surely appreciated by rival NFL general managers, and it could help Poles’ chances to make more trades happen in the future.

[Courtney Cronin]