00:00The Chicago Bears just made a move that could change everything.
00:03They traded for Joe Thune, one of the best offensive linemen in the entire National Football League.
00:09And the price?
00:11A future fourth-round pick.
00:13That is almost unbelievable.
00:15When you get a player of Thune's caliber, you usually have to pay a steep price.
00:20High draft picks.
00:22Big contracts.
00:23Some kind of major sacrifice.
00:25But Ryan Poles pulled off a move that barely cost the team anything.
00:29And in return, he brought in an elite player who will instantly improve this offense.
00:34This is the type of move that takes a franchise from good to great.
00:40It is a rare opportunity to acquire a proven, elite offensive lineman for such a minimal cost.
00:47And it speaks volumes about how Poles is building this team the right way.
00:54If you have been a Chicago Bears fan for a long time, you know that offensive line play has been a struggle.
01:01It has been one of the biggest problems on this team for years.
01:04Every season, fans watch the quarterback take too many hits.
01:09The running game struggles.
01:11The offense never reaches its full potential because the line just is not good enough.
01:16This has been an issue no matter who was under center.
01:19Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, Jay Cutler.
01:22Different quarterbacks, same problems.
01:24The lack of protection has led to inconsistency and frustration.
01:28But now, Ryan Poles has taken a massive step toward fixing that problem.
01:34Joe Thune is not just another lineman.
01:37He is one of the best guards in the entire league.
01:40He is a two-time All-Pro.
01:41He has won four Super Bowls.
01:43He is a leader, a technician, and one of the most reliable linemen in the game.
01:48This is the kind of player you want protecting your young quarterback.
01:52He is not just good, he is elite.
01:55His ability to anchor the interior line and provide stability
01:58will be invaluable to a team looking to take the next step.
02:02And that brings us to the most important part of this trade,
02:06Caleb Williams.
02:07The Chicago Bears are expected to take him with the first overall pick in the draft.
02:12If he is the future of this franchise,
02:15then protecting him needs to be the number one priority.
02:20The National Football League is a quarterback-driven league.
02:23If your quarterback does not have time to throw, nothing else matters.
02:28You can have the best wide receivers.
02:30You can have an amazing running back.
02:32You can have the most creative play caller in the league.
02:36But if your offensive line cannot hold up, your quarterback will not succeed.
02:41Ryan Poles understands this.
02:43That is why he made this trade.
02:45He is giving Caleb Williams the best possible chance to succeed right away.
02:50Many teams make the mistake of drafting a young quarterback
02:53and failing to put the right pieces around him.
02:55The Bears are doing the opposite.
02:57They are being proactive.
02:58They are setting Williams up for success before he even takes his first snap.
03:03This is how you build a winning team.
03:06To fully appreciate how good this trade is,
03:09we need to compare it to some of the other moves Ryan Poles has made.
03:12He has had some major hits since taking over as general manager.
03:16He has made trades that have reshaped the franchise.
03:20So where does the Joe Thunny trade rank among them?
03:24Let's break it down.
03:26One of the first big moves Poles made was trading Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.
03:31That trade happened in 2022, right after Poles took over.
03:35At the time, it was a tough move for fans.
03:38Khalil Mack was a superstar.
03:40He was the face of the defense.
03:42He was a dominant force who could change the course of a game with a single play.
03:46But the Bears were rebuilding and Poles had to think about the long-term future of the team.
03:50By trading Mack, the Bears got a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick.
03:54The second-round pick became Jaquan Brisker,
03:57who has developed into one of the best young safeties in the league.
04:02That was a smart move by Poles.
04:04He turned an aging, expensive player into a young,
04:07talented defensive back who fits the new vision of the team.
04:12Brisker has been a playmaker for the Bears' defense,
04:14proving that this trade was not just about clearing cap space.
04:18It was about building for the future.
04:21Then there was the trade with the Carolina Panthers.
04:24This was one of the biggest trades in recent history,
04:27not just for the Chicago Bears, but for the entire league.
04:30Poles held the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.
04:33Every team wanted it.
04:35The Bears had options.
04:37They could have drafted a quarterback.
04:39They could have traded back to a different spot.
04:41Instead, they made a blockbuster deal.
04:42They sent the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers
04:46in exchange for multiple first-round picks,
04:48a second-round pick, and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
04:51This was a franchise-altering move.
04:55D.J. Moore became the No. 1 receiver for the Bears immediately.
04:59The extra first-round pick from that trade is now going to be used to draft Caleb Williams.
05:04This was a move that set the team up for long-term success.
05:08It was an incredible trade.
05:10This trade gave the Bears both immediate and future assets,
05:15strengthening the roster and putting them in position to draft a generational quarterback talent.
05:20So now, where does the Joe Thune trade rank?
05:24It might actually be the best trade Ryan Poles has ever made.
05:27Here is why.
05:29First, the price.
05:31A fourth-round pick is nothing compared to what Joe Thune brings to the team.
05:35This is a player who has been one of the best at his position for years.
05:39The Bears are not taking a risk here.
05:41They are getting a proven veteran who has already played at the highest level and won championships.
05:47There is no guessing involved.
05:49He is going to step in and immediately make this team better.
05:53He has experience in big moments.
05:55He has played against the best competition.
05:57He knows how to win.
05:59Second, the impact.
06:01The Chicago Bears have needed help on the offensive line for years.
06:05This is not just any upgrade.
06:06This is a massive upgrade.
06:08Caleb Williams has not even played a snap in the National Football League yet,
06:11but already the Bears are making moves to protect him.
06:15That is how you build a winning team.
06:17You do not just draft a quarterback and hope for the best.
06:20You build the right pieces around him.
06:23Thune is one of those pieces.
06:26Third, the timing.
06:27The Bears are in a unique position.
06:28They are getting a fresh start with a new quarterback.
06:31They have an offense that already includes D.J. Moore in a strong running game.
06:34They have a defense that is improving.
06:36The time to make a big move is now.
06:39Poles is not waiting.
06:40He is going all in.
06:41That is what makes this trade so impressive.
06:44It is not just a good deal.
06:46It is a move that shows this team is serious about winning.
06:51When we look back at Ryan Poles' best trades years from now,
06:55the Joe Thune trade is going to stand out.
06:57It is not just about what he gave up.
06:59It is about what he got in return.
07:01He landed an elite offensive lineman for almost nothing.
07:05This is the kind of move that turns a good team into a contender.
07:09It is the kind of move that sets up a young quarterback for success.
07:14It is the kind of move that changes everything.
07:17So Bears fans, what do you think?
07:19Is this the best trade Ryan Poles has ever made?
07:21Or do you still put the Panthers trade at number one?
07:24Let us know your thoughts.
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