Time to ‘go crazy’? Bears GM Ryan Poles keeps expectations measured going into offseason

As the Bears enter what everyone expects to be a pivotal offseason in general manager Ryan Poles’ plans to build a winner, he’s not making any bold declarations.

“Everyone’s talking about how much money we have and how we’re gonna go crazy,” Poles said. “We need to be sound.”

After a year of demolition, Poles now has a tremendous opportunity to build the roster with a full slate of draft picks, including No. 1 overall, and a league-high $118.1 million in salary-cap space.

In Poles’ first season, the Bears went 3-14 under coach Matt Eberflus and finished with a franchise-worst 10-game losing streak. They finished 23rd in scoring (19.2 points per game) and last in scoring defense (27.2).

The Bears opened with an upset of the 49ers amid a heavy downpour at Soldier Field and were still hanging on at 3-4 after beating the Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 7.

Throughout his first year, Poles offloaded experienced, expensive players in favor of draft picks future cap space. He traded three-time All-Pro Khalil Mack for a second-round pick that he used to draft safety Jaquan Brisker, then dealt linebacker Roquan Smith for a second-rounder and defensive end Robert Quinn for a fourth during the season.

“I know we’re healthier now than we were a year before,” he said Tuesday.

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