00:00The Chicago Bears have had their fair share of ups and downs in free agency.
00:04Some signings have been brilliant, game-changers that helped build the team and push them toward
00:09contention. But others? Absolute disasters. Today, we're breaking down the worst free agency moves
00:17by Bears GM Ryan Poles. Buckle up, because this one's gonna sting. Now, let's get one thing
00:23straight. Ryan Poles has made some solid moves. The guy has an eye for talent, and his long-term
00:28vision for the Bears is clear. He landed D.J. Moore in that blockbuster trade, secured Montez
00:34Sweat to shore up the pass rush, and made key draft picks that will define this franchise for
00:40years. But no GM is perfect, and free agency is where mistakes can be costly. When you miss in
00:46free agency, you waste cap space, fail to improve the team, and sometimes even disrupt locker room
00:52chemistry. Some of these moves looked promising at first. Some were straight-up head-scratchers
00:57from the beginning. But all of them ended up being disappointments. So let's go through the
01:01three worst free agent signings made under Poles. We're talking about moves that flopped hard,
01:07wasted money, and made Bears fans question what the front office was thinking. Starting with...
01:13Number three, Nate Davis. Three years, $30 million. This one was rough, folks. And what
01:20makes it worse? The warning signs were there. Inside Hallis Hall, there were voices saying,
01:25hey, this guy might not be a great fit. But Poles ignored them, cut the check, and signed
01:31Davis anyway. The result? A complete disaster. Davis barely practiced. He was constantly dealing
01:38with injuries, missed significant game time, and when he did play, he struggled. The Bears brought
01:43him in to be a key piece on the offensive line, a unit that desperately needed stability, but
01:49instead they got a player who could never stay on the field. When he was active, his performance was
01:53underwhelming, the line still struggled with protection, and Davis never lived up to the
01:58expectations that came with his price tag. Here's the thing about offensive linemen. You pay them
02:04good money because they're supposed to be reliable. Consistency is everything. A lineman doesn't need
02:11to be flashy, but they need to show up and do their job every single snap. Davis didn't do that.
02:18And for 30 million dollars, that's inexcusable. When a lineman fails, it doesn't just hurt the
02:24quarterback. It cripples the run game, throws off the timing of an entire offense, and forces
02:32play callers to adjust in ways they shouldn't have to. There were times when the Bears offense
02:37simply couldn't move the ball because the offensive line was so inconsistent. Davis was supposed to
02:44help solidify that. Instead, he became a liability. You can't build a playoff caliber team with weak
02:50links up front. Davis was one of those weak links, and it was painfully obvious. Number two, Lucas
02:58Patrick. Two years, eight million dollars. Now, eight million dollars isn't a massive contract in
03:04today's NFL, but when you get basically nothing in return, it stings. Patrick was supposed to be a
03:11bridge center, a steady veteran presence, someone who could mentor younger linemen while providing
03:18solid, dependable play. Instead, he got hurt, played out of position, and when he was finally healthy,
03:23he was flat out bad. The Bears signed Patrick, expecting him to anchor the offensive line,
03:30but he barely played in 2022, appearing in only seven games, and none of them at center, the
03:36position he was actually brought in for. Injuries sidelined him, and when he was finally available
03:41in 2023, he was ineffective. Missed blocks, blown assignments, a lack of chemistry with the rest of
03:48the line, just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Offensive linemen are the
03:55backbone of any good football team. If your line is weak, your offense is going to struggle. The
04:00Bears already had issues with consistency up front, and Patrick was supposed to help fix that. Instead,
04:06he became part of the problem. There's a reason the Bears moved on from him so quickly.
04:13He simply didn't deliver. And let's not forget, Patrick was brought in because of his familiarity
04:19with offensive coordinator Luke Goetze's system. That was supposed to be an advantage. Instead,
04:24it meant nothing. The offense never found its rhythm, and Patrick's struggles were a big part
04:29of that. It's one thing to miss on a free agent signing because a player doesn't fit the scheme.
04:34It's another to bring in someone because of the scheme and watch them still fail. That's a front
04:41office nightmare. And now, the worst of them all, the biggest free agency flop under Ryan Poles.
04:50Al-Quadun Mohammed, two years, $10 million. What a disaster. Now, when Poles signed him,
04:57it kind of made sense. He played under Matt Iberfluss in Indianapolis. He was familiar with
05:03the system. Maybe he could be a solid rotational piece, a dependable pass rusher who could help
05:08the Bears get after the quarterback. But that didn't happen. Not even close. Mohammed played
05:15one season, one sack. That's it, $10 million, one sack. That's not just bad, that's brutal.
05:22He was supposed to provide depth and contribute as a veteran presence on the defensive line. Instead,
05:27he was invisible. He was outplayed by younger, cheaper players.
05:32The Bears saw enough after just one year and cut him loose. Pass rushers are valuable in today's
05:39NFL. If you can generate consistent pressure, you can change games. Look at teams with dominant
05:45defensive fronts. They're always in contention. The Bears needed that kind of impact and
05:51Mohammed was supposed to help. Instead, he was a total non-factor. This was a move that
05:56wasted both money and a roster spot. And here's what makes it worse. Mohammed wasn't a pass rushing
06:01monster even in his best seasons. He had six sacks in 2021 with the Colts. But those numbers didn't
06:08exactly scream game changer. That was a career year and polls still handed him a multi-year deal.
06:16That's the kind of bet you can't afford to lose in free agency. Look, free agency is a gamble.
06:21Sometimes you hit big, sometimes you miss, but these moves, they weren't just misses. They were
06:26massive mistakes and they set the team back when they needed to be moving forward. Every dollar
06:32spent in free agency needs to be maximized. Every roster spot is valuable. When you sign a player
06:38and get nothing in return, it's a major setback. Ryan Poles has had his fair share of wins and
06:44he's clearly building this team with a long-term vision. He's made strong draft picks and landed
06:49some key players through trades. But if the Bears want to compete for a Super Bowl, they can't afford
06:54free agent busts like these. Every signing has to count. Every move has to help push this team closer
07:00to being a contender. So what do you think? Which free agent signing hurt the most? And do you trust
07:07Poles to get it right moving forward? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let's talk
07:13about it. And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Bears content. We've got a big season
07:19ahead and you won't want to miss it.
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