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INDIANAPOLIS — Few problems have persistently pestered Bears general manager Ryan Poles like the defensive line. The trouble started as soon as he walked in the building.
Poles inherited a talent shortage, a salary-cap nightmare and depleted draft capital from predecessor Ryan Pace in 2022, and it was impossible to solve all those issues at once. He unloaded future Hall of Fame pass rusher Khalil Mack in a well-reasoned move to gain cap space and a second-round pick, but the Bears have had the fewest sacks in the NFL since.