Predictions for 2024: Here are Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles’ New Year’s resolutions

LAKE FOREST – Happy New Year to all the Bears fans out there.

Look, 2023 was better than 2022. A year ago, the Bears rebuild was more of an idea than a tangible thing. But now, Bears fans can start to see what the vision looks like for general manager Ryan Poles.

The Bears doubled their win total from a year ago. They added some talented veteran players like receiver DJ Moore and defensive end Montez Sweat, while also selecting some promising young talent in the draft, most notably tackle Darnell Wright.

Like any year, there’s been ups and downs, but the Bears still have a chance to win seven or maybe even eight games before this season ends.

And so, it’s time to start thinking about 2024. Everyone is writing down their goals for the new year – work out more, dry January, read more books, stop scrolling social media, etc.

I’ve written out a few New Year’s resolutions for Poles as he continues to build his football team. Here are a couple friendly suggestions for what might make 2024 a success.

1. Move forward with a coach you believe in

A not insignificant number of Bears fans have already given up on head coach Matt Eberflus. I’m here to remind them that firing Eberflus is far from a done deal. Every chance he has gotten, Poles has defended his head coach. He has done nothing but support Eberflus and compliment the coach’s work ethic behind the scenes.

The defense has improved significantly – a defense that Poles spent the past 23 months molding around what Eberflus wanted it to look like. If the Bears win seven or eight games, they are basically meeting their preseason expectations (sportsbooks pinned the over/under at 7.5 wins).

Is the grass always greener on the other side? Is there a slam dunk hire out there? Is it worth rolling the dice on another NFL coordinator who would be a first-time head coach?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then go make that hire. If not, the answer is probably working in his office at Halas Hall right now.

Move ahead with a coach you believe in. If that’s Eberflus, so be it. It doesn’t matter what the talking heads on TV have to say.

2. Draft a quarterback

Before the Justin Fields fans freak out on me, hear me out. The Bears will draft a quarterback in 2024. That might be with the first overall pick. That might be in the seventh round. You can never have enough good quarterbacks.

Much like the head coach, move forward with the quarterback you believe in – regardless of what anyone on the outside has to say. That might be Fields. Or it might be USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Trust your experience, trust your process and trust your gut.

Here’s another point that fans in Chicago might disagree with: What you do at quarterback shouldn’t necessarily reflect what you do with the head coach, or vice versa. The obsession with aligning a coach and QB on the same timeline is overblown. It’s Bears fans grasping at straws because neither position has moved the needle much in 30-plus years. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes were never on the same timeline. Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor weren’t. Sean McVay has reached Super Bowls with two different quarterbacks. Good coaches draw the best out of their players. Good quarterbacks play well even when conditions are suboptimal.

Drafting a QB with the first overall pick is a lottery ticket. For every Peyton Manning there’s a Ryan Leaf. There are far more busts than Hall of Famers. Tread cautiously. But if you believe Williams is the next Mahomes, you have to take that gamble. Absolutely must.

If you don’t believe that, maybe it’s not worth the risk. If the Bears don’t take a QB in the first round, they should certainly look to find one later in the draft. Tyson Bagent is a nice backup, but Nathan Peterman is a wasted roster spot.

Find a new QB project. Maybe that’s Williams. Maybe it’s not.

3. Trade a first-round draft pick

What’s better than two first-round picks this year? How about two first-round picks this year and two next year?

This doesn’t necessarily mean trade the No. 1 overall pick. But the Bears have two first-round picks in 2024. Right now, it looks like they’ll be No. 1 and No. 8, although those numbers could change slightly. Poles knows as well as anyone that trading back gives him more ammo. The Bears traded the 2022 No. 1 overall pick in March, moving back to No. 9. That move netted Moore and four additional picks. Then they traded again on draft night, moving from No. 9 to No. 10, and added a 2023 fourth-round pick in the process.

If the Bears don’t take a QB at No. 1, they have to move the pick – even if they trade back just a few slots – because somebody will want the QB badly enough. If they do take a QB, they could still net a lot for a pick in the latter part of the top 10.

The Bears don’t currently have a second-round pick in 2024. They have only six total draft picks, as of now. Two years ago, Poles turned five picks into 11 picks via trades. The Bears don’t necessarily need that many, but they’ll want more than six.

4. Find another quality wide receiver

Moore has worked wonders for the Bears’ passing attack. He’s at 1,141 receiving yards on the season. He’s already having one of the 10 best receiving seasons in Bears history and he has two more games to go.

Whether they keep Fields or move on, they need a No. 2 receiver. The best passing attacks in the NFL have multiple quality options, and the Bears don’t really have a No. 2 right now. Darnell Mooney, who will be a free agent, doesn’t appear to be the answer.

But there are answers available in free agency and the draft. Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr. and Mike Evans are among the top receivers who could hit free agency. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Keon Coleman could be options in the first round of the draft. Draft analysts consider this one of the deepest drafts in receiver talent.

Go find one.

The passing attack needs to improve. Another weapon will help tremendously.