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As Don Draper once said: "That's what the money's for."
Well, Ryan Poles found out very quickly why his paycheck has the number of zeroes it does at the end.
The Bears' first-year general manager was handed one of the NFL's worst roster situations and asked to tear it down and start from scratch. Due to the Bears ' cap situation, Poles had to essentially build a roster with one hand tied behind his back this offseason.
But if Poles thought he had a tough job heading into Tuesday's report day, it has undoubtedly gotten more complex over the last five days. The Bears' first-year general manager enters training camp in a contractual staring contest with his best player and one of the team's top rookies.
On Friday, it was reported that second-round pick Jaquan Brisker was not expected to report to Halas Hall with fellow rookies on Saturday as he has yet to sign his rookie contract. Brisker's holdout centers around the guaranteed money in the third year of his contract.
The Washington Commanders gave Phidarian Mathis, who was selected one pick ahead of Brisker, $111K guaranteed in Year 3. Tyquan Thornton, who the New England Patriots selected two picks after Brisker, received $0 guaranteed in Year 3. Sources told NBC Sports Chicago that as of last week, the two sides were not close in negotiations.
The Bears raved about Brisker all offseason, and the plan is for him to be the Day 1 starter at strong safety. Brisker's football IQ, tenacity, and ability to create turnovers have made him an instant favorite among the Bears' new regime.
There's a chance Brisker's holdout lasts into August. While the Penn State product still should be expected to start Week 1, any time lost during training camp could set back his development. That is something the Bears can't afford.
Things got more complicated for Poles on Monday when NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported that linebacker Roquan Smith would not participate in training camp until he gets his new contract. The Bears' star linebacker is in the final year of his deal and undoubtedly is looking to be the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.
New head coach Matt Eberflus has praised Smith throughout the offseason, and it was easy to see Smith have the same success in Eberflus' system that Darius Leonard had in Indianapolis. It's not a coincidence that Leonard is currently the NFL's highest-paid linebacker at $19 million a year. The price tag for Smith's well-earned extension is likely very simple: $20 million per year for $100 million total.
Poles, a first-time general manager, has had an offseason full of obstacles. He had to strip the roster down to the studs, had his free-agent prize Larry Ogunjobi slip through his fingers due to a failed physical, and now is being tested by two of the Bears' defensive starters.
Should Robert Quinn not show up Tuesday for report day amid swirling trade rumors, the Bears will be without three defensive starters when they start practice Wednesday.
That's the definition of suboptimal.
Brisker's situation will get handled. Poles undoubtedly doesn't want to get pushed around in his first contractual tug-of-war, and Brisker wants to get every guaranteed dollar he can. Neither side is in the wrong.
But haste should be the name of the game in Brisker's contract negotiations. If Brisker wants what Mathis got or even a little more, the Bears should blink and get him on the field. While he has been impressive in the offseason, Brisker still is a rookie who needs as many practice reps with the first team as he can get. Smith's negotiations, on the other hand, might take some time. Given that Smith is a veteran, he can stand to miss some practice time.
Poles must figure out if he believes Smith is part of the Bears' long-term vision (he should be). If he is, what is that worth to the Bears' rebuild? Would it be more beneficial to try and trade Smith for a haul of top picks to further stock the draft cabinet? Given the Bears' shortage of depth and talent, such a move could be advantageous. Would giving Smith a massive new contract that stretches through the time when linebackers normally tailoff fit with the Bears' expected title window?
These are all questions Poles must answer as he plots the course forward for the Bears with or without Smith. How he handles these negotiations will tell us a lot about who he is as a general manager and his view of the Bears' short- and long-term prospects.
Poles is paid handsomely to make these tough decisions for the Bears. That's what the money is for.
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