Bears have a great young core in place for the future
· Yahoo Sports
When the Chicago Bears locked up right tackle Darnell Wright to a contract extension, they secured one of their first-round picks to a second contract for the first time since Kyle Fuller, who was selected 12 years ago in 2014. There has been a lot of lousy decision-making since then.
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Now, the team has turned over a new leaf. With Ryan Poles as general manager, they have made multiple draft picks that will be around for a long time. A new core is budding, which is just what a team that won the NFC North wants to hear heading into Year 2 with their new superstar head coach Ben Johnson.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze are eligible for new contracts after this current season with tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III two years behind them, and all of them are showing signs of being a part of the solution to this team not winning a Super Bowl since 1985. Now, Darnell Wright is now locked in through 2030.
There are also young studs like safety Dillon Thieneman, tackle Ozzy Trapilo, running Kyle Monangai, and others to be excited about as well, giving the team a real shot at sustained success. The Bears haven't had a long-term core growing from scratch like this in a long time.
A lot of these players are still incredibly young in terms of their NFL experience. A few of them haven't even played in double-digit games yet, which will only improve their skills, awareness, and overall ability to impact games the way veterans do. By the time Williams reaches his next contract, his supporting cast should be ready to win as well as any in the league, if not sooner.
There isn't a lot of make-shift roster building going on in any of their rooms. You never know what injuries or inconsistencies pop up over the years, but a foundation of youth and talent is in place to serve as a base for multiple years ahead. The best way to keep that going is to continue having strong drafts, giving yourself more opportunities to have and extend good players like Wright.
If Poles can soon add a young home-grown pass rusher to this list in the next draft, they will be even better off. Even if they go out and get one on the trade block or open market at some point, it would be an incredible supplement for this young great core. With the right quarterback and head coach leading the way, anything is possible.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears have a great young core in place for the future