Bears GM promises to take NFC North and 'never give it back'

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles put the rest of the NFC North on notice Monday by providing his blueprint for divisional dominance.

Poles addressed the media, speaking of building through the draft and being selective in free agency. He also stressed the need for open lines of communication and a "relentless" approach to addressing team weaknesses.

"The last thing, the most important piece, is we're going to take the (NFC) North and never give it back," Poles said.

The Bears have won the NFC North only two times in the last 15 years, with their last division title coming in 2018. Chicago finished third in two of the last three campaigns, which led the organization to fire former head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.

Poles discussed his outlook on improving the Bears going forward in a later interview on 670 The Score's "Laurence Holmes Show."

"It's expectations around here. It's the standard that's got to be lifted," Poles said. "And then for me, in terms of player acquisition, we've got to build the most competitive roster in the league."

The Bears head into the 2022 offseason with Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus. They face looming decisions on pending free agents, including wide receiver Allen Robinson and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks.

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