Poles faced a lot of questions when he spoke Monday afternoon for the first time since a short session at the scouting combine. The one thing he has done is remained true to his vision of being cautious in free agency. Bears fans have been conditioned to expect bold moves in March. It has happened almost annually dating to 2009, when the team traded for quarterback Jay Cutler. A year later, the Bears signed Julius Peppers. What followed were mostly busy offseasons that usually included some high-profile additions. I don’t believe Poles is averse to spending in free agency, but the player has to be right and the time has to be right. The Bears are betting on the upside of some of these signings. They also have signed some clear starters. Defensive tackle Justin Jones, Muhammad at defensive end and linebacker Nicholas Morrow at linebacker — those players are not backups. Maybe Patrick wasn’t someone the Packers planned on starting, but circumstances wound up providing him with a lot of playing time. Pringle had a good run in Kansas City last season. So to say Poles has done nothing but sign backups is not accurate. The Bears are unlikely to hit on all of the signings, but if half of them pan out, they’ve made calculated moves that make them better without spending lavishly. Poles obviously knows how Pringle is wired and believes he’s ready for a larger role. St. Brown’s and Patrick’s familiarity with the offensive scheme is a plus for them and the team. Same goes for Muhammad. I expect the Bears to be players in free agency again — the team will be flush with cap space next year — but doing it on an annual basis hasn’t produced the results everyone was seeking.
