Bears GM Ryan Poles revealed on Hard Knocks why he ultimately passed on a Matthew Judon trade

Bears GM Ryan Poles really did his homework about Matthew Judon.

With Caleb Williams in the fold, the Chicago Bears arguably have one of the NFL’s better rosters on paper. But if there’s a place where the Bears might still have a glaring hole, it’s that they don’t have a No. 2 edge pass rusher to pair up with franchise player Montez Sweat.

The Bears almost rectified this need with a trade for ex-New England Patriot Matthew Judon … before the Atlanta Falcons swooped in to finish the deal.

During the latest episode of Hard Knocks, Bears general manager Ryan Poles explained his apprehension behind making a move for Judon and why he ultimately passed on pulling the trigger for the difference-making veteran:

Everything about Poles’ thought process is sound and reasonable for a GM trying to build a consistent Super Bowl contender in Chicago.

Even at the age of 32, the Bears knew that Judon probably still had plenty left in the tank and that he would’ve wreaked a lot of havoc in their defense. But they weren’t sure if he would agree to a long-term extension with the organization. They had apparently even included a key provision in their trade proposal that the deal would revert Judon back to the Patriots if he didn’t sign on the dotted line with Chicago.

While a third-round draft pick for Judon sounds enticing at first glance, it’s ultimately a lot to give up for a potential rental for a Bears team that’s trying to win now but probably isn’t ready to compete for a championship just yet. Instead, riding with the developmental trajectory of promising rookie Austin Booker for four cost-controlled years makes much more sense. The Bears traded a future fourth-round draft selection to acquire the young defensive end from Kansas in April’s NFL Draft.

Poles did his due diligence to check on the possibility of a Judon addition. He did even better to remember the Bears have a long-term vision and that it’s better to let his current roster grow before he starts pushing all of his chips in.