One of the top free agents this offseason came off the board on Wednesday when Orlando Brown Jr. opted to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals to play left tackle for them. One team that was expected to be interested in adding Brown was the Chicago Bears given their ample cap space and desire to upgrade on the offensive line, but Ryan Poles and the front office decided against it.

This was a rather peculiar decision, given the Bears need for offensive line help, and Brown's desire to get absolutely paid. Brown still got his money, but could he have gotten more from the Bears? Maybe, but Poles explained why the team decided to not pursue Brown, and it does make a bit of sense it seems.

Via Adam Hoge:

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“Why didn't the Bears make a run at Orlando Brown Jr? Ryan Poles: ‘The scheme match is a big deal there.'”

Brown is a strong all-around offensive lineman, but he doesn't necessarily fit into the Bears run-heavy offense led by Justin Fields. Read options are used heavily by Chicago, and with Brown excelling at protecting pocket passers and opening up conventional running lanes, it's clear he's a much better fit for the Bengals than the Bears here.

Chicago has made some big moves in free agency already this offseason, and it will be interesting to see whether or not they make more moves for their offensive line over the next few days of free agency. Brown seemed like a decent target for the Bears, but with this latest explanation from Poles, it does seem like a somewhat sensible option for them to pass here.