Ryan Pace Has Draft-Related Decisions To Make Regarding Two Important Positions and Other Bullets

Here’s hoping Matt Nagy Magic™ is something that can be applied to the football field:

  • The Bears believe they found their long-term quarterback solution in Mitch Trubisky and have put some solid pieces around him in attempt to build a modern offense. However, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times points out GM Ryan Pace once said he’d like to add a college quarterback in each offseason. So does Trubisky’s presence mean the Bears are done drafting signal callers? Possibly. The Bears don’t have a third-round pick this year because it was sent to San Francisco in the Trubisky deal and the team has added backups Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray to help provide a smooth transition into the offense. Still, you can’t ever have too much depth or competition at the position.
  • Over at the Daily Herald, Bob LeGere projects the Bears as being unable to afford the luxury of drafting a developmental quarterback on Day 2 because of the team’s needs at several more important decisions. Finding a late-round quarterback process could happen in Day 3, but the most intriguing prospects who would fit the bill will likely be long gone. Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta is one of the more intriguing candidates because of his tools, traits, and college production. But if quarterbacks are going to fly off the board early, I would expect quarterbacks to be chosen earlier than expected throughout the weekend.
  • The chances of Chicago using a possible late-round pick to draft a quarterback took a hit when the team allowed Cameron Meredith to sign with New Orleans. Because of the newly created vacancy at the position, the Bears find themselves in a position to use one of their picks on a wide receiver. JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago highlights five receivers the Bears could target as a Meredith replacement. The Bears probably won’t use their first-rounder on a receiver, but there are talented pass-catchers expected to be available throughout the draft. Highly productive college receivers like Anthony Miller (Memphis) and James Washington (Oklahoma State) are possible fits, while someone like Christian Kirk (Texas A&M) brings experience as a return specialist that increases his value.
  • When it comes to Meredith, Freddie Boston of Lombardi Avenue sees Chicago’s loss as New Orleans’ gain – and at a minimal risk. If Meredith returns to 2016 form, he could be quite the addition to an already potent offense. But if he doesn’t, then the contract signed is just for two years with a minimal commitment. Meredith’s future could ultimately come down to the health of his reconstructed knee.
  • Even though the Bears expressed some kind of concern about Meredith’s knee injury, the newest member of the Saints’ pass-catching corps doesn’t share those concerns:
  • Adam Hoge of WGN Radio doesn’t see the logic behind the Bears’ decision in letting Meredith go. Chicago hasn’t had much luck in building its wide receiver corps since GM Ryan Pace’s arrival and Meredith was the only player at the position that was developed by the team in that time. While Meredith’s knee injury brings an ample amount of uncertainty, the things we do know about him (size, route-running skills, reliable hands) could arguably outweigh the negatives.
  • It appears the Bears might have undervalued their own in-house talent, which has been an issue at times before – most notably kicker Robbie Gould. We just saw what the Bears had to endure in the kicking game before finding a potentially adequate replacement in Cody Parkey. Hopefully, the team is smarter (and quicker) in finding a Meredith replacement.
  • Don’t expect Dez Bryant to replace Meredith. Stankevitz makes a case that Bryant doesn’t make sense for the Bears and that Chicago doesn’t make sense for Bryant, especially if he wants to face his ex-teammates in Dallas twice a year. Bryant would fit a need at the position, but if he can’t play against the Cowboys twice a year, his next best option might be to hop on with a contender. And while we’re optimistic about the Bears’ future, they aren’t in that realm quite yet.
  • Joe Marino of FanRag Sports Network offers up three fits for Bryant, and two of those teams will play the Bears in 2018. The San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills are on Chicago’s 2018 schedule and both have a need to upgrade the talent at receiver. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens have a reputation for squeezing some great production out of receivers who are late in their careers. Joe Flacco throwing to Michael Crabtree and Bryant would make for a fun passing game.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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