Ryan Poles Says Targeting Local-Born Talent Has Method To Its Madness
GM Ryan Poles has certain ways of operating that make complete sense. He wants great athletes. He wants speed, and he likes size and length too. More than that, he wants the Chicago Bears to be an organization that builds primarily through the draft. All those things line up with what successful organizations do. However, every GM also tends to have unique quirks. Ryan Pace always seemed to covet players from Georgia. For Poles, he seems to be constantly targeting players with local ties to Chicago.
Since his arrival last year, the GM has now added four different players who grew up either in the city proper or the local suburbs. They are Doug Kramer, Jack Sanborn, T.J. Edwards, and Robert Tonyan. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Except it isn’t. Poles confirmed as much when asked about it at the Arizona owners’ meetings. He believes there is a clear benefit to targeting players that grew up watching your team.
“There’s something to it for me. I think when you have pride of your local team that you grew up watching, you knew what this club meant to the city and you saw some good times with some good players, I think you’re a little bit more motivated to perform at a high level and lead, because you’ve seen guys do it at a high level before you. So I always like that aspect. I think it just means a little bit more.”
He isn’t completely wrong.
One organization that has employed this line of thinking for years is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Linebacker Jack Ham is a Pittsburgh native and enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Cameron Heyward is one of the best defensive players in the AFC and is a Pittsburgh native. Legendary running back Franco Harris was born in Pennsylvania. There are definite benefits to keeping it local on a regular basis.
Ryan Poles’ motivation is clear to see.
He wants players on the roster who wish to play for the Chicago Bears. It’s that simple. He isn’t interested in mercenaries focused solely on what they’ll get their big payday. This is about building a roster full of guys devoted to the success of the organization. Adding pieces who grew up watching it is an obvious way to go about it. Everybody remembers Dick Butkus, Charles Tillman, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Tom Thayer, Emery Moorehead, and Gary Fencik. That’s right. All were born in or around Chicago.
Ryan Poles isn’t crazy for doing this. He believes such an approach can work. He’s already been proven somewhat right. Sanborn was excellent at linebacker last season despite being an undrafted free agent. Most see him as a clear starter alongside Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. Tonyan has already proven himself as a quality tight end. It will be interesting to see if the Bears carry this into the NFL draft, pinpointing specific prospects from local colleges or who have roots here.