Ryan Poles has been busy this week. Between finalizing trades, free agent signings, and pro day visits, the Chicago Bears general manager has had a full plate. On Thursday, Poles met with the assembled media at Halas Hall to discuss a variety of topics. I’ve highlighted a few quotes and added some commentary for the sake of context along the way. The full press conference is embedded below. Enjoy!
Bears GM Ryan Poles on trading DJ Moore
Some Ryan Poles quotes about the DJ Moore trade that stood out to me.
“Tough decisions when you’ve got to make those business decisions and make moves like trading DJ. DJ is one of my favorite players, will always be one of my favorite players. I knew that was going to be tough for our organization.”
This tracks with what Poles said when discussing Moore’s future during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. If all things were equal and salary cap concerns weren’t an issue, I don’t think the Bears would have pushed a Moore trade. But every front office has a budget and every team has to play by the same cap rules. So, in the end, Chicago’s football team had to trade a productive and popular player.
© David Banks-Imagn Images“My son is a passionate fan of the Chicago Bears. He was not very happy with me at all. I thought it was cool DJ sent a video not to be mad at dad, it’s part of the business.”
The idea of Poles’ son being mad at him for trading a player got a good chuckle out of me, as did Moore sending a video to the Bears GM’s son explaining not to be mad at dad. That is good, wholesome content.
“There were quite a few teams that were interested. There was an opportunity to put DJ in a really cool spot for him to have success. Unfortunately, we have to play him next year. We wish him well.”
Unsurprisingly, there was a market for DJ Moore. Even though it has been a few years since he has posted a 1,000-yard receiving season, ball-knowers understand that the step back in production in 2025 was rooted in more mouths to feed on Chicago’s offense. Hence, it makes sense that the Buffalo Bills were willing to offer up a second-round pick. That the Bears were able to send him to a contender is a nice touch. One that I imagine Moore appreciates.
On the team’s new class of free-agent signings
If you felt like there was a common thread with the free-agent addition Bears GM Ryan Poles reeled in, just know that you are not alone:
“I think there is a common theme with the guys that we brought in. We wanted to get faster, more explosive, and I think we did that. I know we did that. We want guys that are passionate about football, that play our style and our brand of football. And I know we did that.”
In the past, I’ve spent time rage typing over Bears coaches and front office leaders not seeing obvious things that everyone else watching games were seeing. And while this team still has work to do when it comes to improving the roster, it is encouraging that Poles saw what we did when it came to the team’s much-needed speed boost. So, yeah, no wonder there was a common theme in the new additions to this roster. Frankly, I don’t think the general manager is done injecting speed throughout the depth chart.
Ryan Poles clarifies Bears’ interest in Maxx Crosby
There has been plenty of discussion regarding the Bears’ reported interest in Las Vegas Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. So let’s hear it straight from the GM’s mouth:
“We’re always going to monitor every situation. Sometimes it fits and it works with what you’ve got going on in terms of resources, sometimes it doesn’t. We were involved. We checked into it and looked to see if it made sense, had some dialogue, and I’ll just leave it at that.”
There you have it, folks. Bears GM Ryan Poles checked in and had discussions with the Raiders about a possible Crosby trade. Even though Crobsy remains in Vegas for now, I imagine Chicago (and others) will keep an eye on what happens out west.
Extra points from Ryan Poles’ press conference
On the Drew Dalman signing: “Obviously, there’s a lot of things that are unexpected that happen in this job. Drew being one of them. That retirement was a little bit of a pop-up on us. I want to respect him and his decision, so the reasons why and all of that, I’ll let him answer those things at his time.”
Bears GM Ryan Poles at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesWhy Garrett Bradbury? “We monitored a lot of different things that were happening. The big thing for us was finding the right fit in terms of what’s going to be adaptable and that’s going to fit in especially the outside zone, mid-zone. … We felt like the best thing for us to do was to make that trade with a veteran center that’s played with a young quarterback before that’s very good with his communication, smart, been in different systems. We feel like he can plug in and have command of that O-Line.”
GET TO KNOW NEW BEARS C GARRETT BRADBURY
On Coby Bryant’s arrival and Dennis Allen’s influence: “When we watched Coby’s tape, he was a guy that got us excited because, again, he played our kind of ball. He played fast, he played physical. Those are the things that DA is looking for, that we’re looking for.”
How long has Ryan Poles been monitoring Devin Bush? “Time goes by and I remember watching him at Michigan. The play style. He plays fast. That helps with range in coverage. And if you think about DA’s system, it’s a perfect fit.”
© Scott Galvin-Imagn ImagesWhy no big-money expenditures in the pass rush department? “Constantly looking short-term, long-term, what’s going to help this football team now, but also being conscious of what’s going to happen down the road. We want to sustain success. We’ve talked about that a lot. In order to do that, we have to be very calculated with the moves that we make. So when we were looking through different situations, we took that into account and we felt like sticking with our plan going into free agency was the best thing for us to do.”
Ryan Poles on the Ian Cunningham compensatory pick situation: “I’ll see most of you at the league meetings where we can talk about that. I’ll leave that alone for right now.”
One last quip about free agency: “I know we got better through this phase.”
For more from Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, you can watch the full video from his Thursday press conference below:
Ryan Poles is speaking with the media t.co/sgl3pXeT3J
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 12, 2026Hence then, the article about ryan poles speaks dj moore trade new free agents maxx crosby saga more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Ryan Poles Speaks: DJ Moore Trade, New Free Agents, Maxx Crosby Saga, More )
Also on site :
- Norris rejects Mercedes engine conspiracy talk
- 76ers vs Pistons, Cade Cunningham Props, and More for Tonight’s Matchup
- 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine Shakeups, Free Agency Fallout, and a New Look at the First Round