The Bears hired a new head coach and General Manager this offseason and, as is usually the case with such changes, those moves have been followed by significant changes to the roster.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson left as a free agent, pass rusher Khalil Mack was traded to the Chargers, and several veterans were released as new coach Matt Eberflus and General Manager Ryan Poles began to put their stamp on the team. There haven’t been as many notable additions to the roster, due in large part to the cap situation and the lack of draft assets after last year’s trade up in the draft for quarterback Justin Fields.
The moves they have made haven’t followed the blueprint of other teams trying to build up the offense around young quarterbacks, but Poles said on ESPN 1000 Friday that their absence isn’t because the team is not fully committed to a future with Fields running the offense.
“We’re all in on Justin. I believe in Justin. Our coaches believe in Justin. Like I said from the beginning, we’re going to set him up to succeed,” Poles said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com.
No matter the circumstances of the offseason or comments from the team, any lack of progress from Fields in his second season will lead to questions about both the team’s roster decisions and their ongoing commitment to a quarterback who predated the current regime.