Ryan Poles hasn’t taken the pedal off the metal for a week. The Bears general manager has been aggressive as heck using copious amounts of salary-cap space to upgrade the offensive and defensive lines.

The Grady Jarrett deal is a perfect example of that. The Atlanta Falcons released him on Monday morning and the Bears quickly pounced. They had a reported three-year deal worth up to $43.5 million done within hours with an individual that surely drew significant interest.

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Jarrett’s an upper-tier three technique, which wasn’t an area of absolutely desperate need. But there’s no doubt Jarrett makes the Bears better. He provides production and leadership. He’s a good fit for the Bears culture.

The Bears want and need players like that regardless of position, but they really need them up front.

Poles and head coach Ben Johnson were committed to improving the offensive and defensive lines. They attacked those issues with violent blows.

They traded for star guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson last week. They agreed on terms with center Drew Dalman shortly after the NFL’s negotiating window opened late Monday morning.

That’s a complete overhaul of the interior offensive line in three savvy moves. Then they moved to the defensive side of things, with the Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo signings.

All five of those players involved will make at least $14 million in average annual value. That doesn’t mean each 2025 cap number will reach that level – the first season is often lower due to the signing-bonus payment – so the Bears still have the funds required to flesh out their roster.

They can get creative if they’d like to add another big contract, and they’ve proven willing to go for it with the dollars required to get the guys they want.

Poles said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Bears would have no problem being aggressive in free agency if a player fits and checks every other box. They did proper research and went for it along the lines.

The goal is improve in those areas, allowing the incumbent talent at other positions to shine. If quarterback Caleb Williams ascends in 2025 under Johnson, the Bears might get good in a hurry.

Key word: might.

Offseason optimism has been high before, only to see it crater once the results start rolling in. Improving at the basics, the blocking and tackling of it all, is the goal here. If they’re better there, they’re better everywhere.

These moves sure look smart to this point, and the aggressiveness has set a tone seemingly influenced by Johnson. The Bears still have needs and depth to add, with a significant haul of NFL draft capital available to build the team’s young talent base.

The Bears entered this offseason with tons of cap space and precious little dead money. Making mistakes with all the money spent could create tons of it should the Bears’ moves fall flat.

We don’t know how these veteran additions will fair, but we know the Bears aren’t playing scared. They know what they want to accomplish and they’re going after it with vigor. Expect that to continue as this offseason progresses, both in free agency and the draft.