NEWSLETTER
Unfortunately, Ryan Pace may have inherited a bit of a lemon when he took over as the Chicago Bears general manager back in 2015.
Indeed, because of John Fox’s previously heralded reputation as a turnaround artist (and subsequent implosion in Chicago), it’s the Bears head coach – not GM – shouldering a bulk of the team’s criticism. But how long will that last?
GMs are often judged by two critical personnel decisions – 1. the quarterback they pick to lead the franchise and 2. the head coach in charge of that player. Obviously, Trubisky hasn’t gotten off to an A+ start in Chicago so far, but recent history has taught us that you can’t judge these guys on their first season, alone.
Take Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. These two are leading turnaround seasons for the Eagles and Rams, and offer a glimmer of hope for Mitch Trubisky’s sophomore year. A lot has to go right for Trubisky (and by proxy, Pace) to reach that level, but there’s no reason to believe this will be the final nail in the GM’s coffin just yet.
Fox, on the other hand, could be. Hiring Fox to lead the team from the darkness of the Trestman era was certainly understandable at the time, but allowing him to stick around this long might put Pace’s job in peril – and that’s especially true if Fox isn’t the right long-term head coach for Trubisky, in particular.
And then, of course, there’s the rest of the player-personnel decisions.
Pace’s drafts have produced seven primary starters (outside of Trubisky) considered to be building blocks moving forward. Jordan Howard is the latest in a line of stud running backs to put on a Bears uniform. Safety Eddie Jackson and pass rusher Leonard Floyd have flashed big-play potential on defense. Center Cody Whitehair and nose tackle Eddie Goldman have solidified their positions along the line of scrimmage, while safety Adrian Amos – like Whitehair and Goldman – has been a steady starter since his rookie season. And just when you were ready to question Tarik Cohen’s role on the roster, he splashes in a game that makes you think he’s finally found his niche.
His endeavors into free agency have been hit and miss, though. Josh Sitton was a Pro Bowl guard in his first season and is among the five best at his position by Pro Football Focus’ grading standards. Akiem Hicks has played at a Pro Bowl level for two years on a defense rattled by injuries. Danny Trevathan is one of those defenders who has been bitten by the injury bug, but has been productive when healthy. And the same can be said about Pernell McPhee, albeit in a much smaller sample of plays.
HOWEVER, the signings Mike Glennon, Dion Sims, Quintin Demps, Marcus Cooper, Jerrell Freeman, Connor Barth, and Bobby Massie can be categorized as misses (for one reason or another). And while their contracts won’t necessarily handcuff the Bears financially, their underperformance – even as stop-gap players – serves as an argument in the growing case against Pace.
Things can change, as they did for Emery when the Trestman era started spiraling out of control, but Pace’s job feels safe right now.
The acquisition of building blocks in the draft, a handful of quality starters via free agency, and the fact that his free agent misses won’t financially torpedo the team’s chances at righting those wrongs all work in his favor. And that the franchise allowed him to spearhead the movement toward modernizing, renovating, and expanding Halas Hall suggests his future is on more stable ground than that of the coach he hired.
Michael Cerami contributed to this post.
