Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2017 7:07:54 GMT -6
Are the Bears putting more faith in GM Ryan Pace than he deserves?
David Haugh
Chicago Tribune
At 4:31 p.m. Friday, the Bears issued a news release announcing a major, 162,000-square-foot addition to Halas Hall they boasted will “completely transform” the football operations side of the facility.
The timing seemed odd given that Friday afternoon NFL news dumps typically involve ticket increases or staff dismissals. On the other hand, the Bears bringing little attention to a rebuilding project fits perfectly into what’s going on under the watch of general manager Ryan Pace.
The Bears have stopped short of publicly labeling the process under Pace a rebuild the way, say, the White Sox or Bulls have. But that’s exactly what it is. They might as well have called a news conference and had Pace put on a hard hat to take questions about the expansion or the Bears roster.
“I’m proud of this,’’ Pace told the team’s website. “It shows a major commitment to winning from our ownership and leadership.’’
It also shows more faith in Pace than he probably deserves with the Bears 12-30 since he took over as GM.
Reports of the team’s ambitious construction project made clear Pace’s fingerprints were all over the blueprints. The projected timetable says workers will break ground next March and finish by August 2019. The implication: Pace still will be in charge at 1920 Football Drive by its completion.
Anybody else find that presumptuous?
Speculation about coach John Fox’s likely dismissal usually assumes Pace will return, with the prevailing belief Fox had more to do with the losing than his boss. That point can be defended but absolves Pace of responsibility, even though talent evaluation has been too iffy to earn the benefit of the doubt.
If Pace returns for a fourth season, as expected, it should be viewed as the Bears wanting to avoid hitting reset on another regime change — in the name of continuity — more than an endorsement. Saying Fox is the only reason for the Bears losing is as silly as talking politics at Thanksgiving dinner.
Pace represents the Bears in exemplary fashion. He’s a likable, charismatic 40-year-old executive whose command of the job has improved considerably since his introduction Jan. 9, 2015. But any fair accounting of Pace’s tenure balances his respectable draft record against troubling free-agent misses.
For every unearthed draft pick such as Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen or Eddie Jackson, there is a free-agent flop such as Mike Glennon and Alan Ball. Building through the draft around core guys such as Cody Whitehair and Eddie Goldman makes sense, but it’s not as if Pace’s free-agent decisions gave the Bears much other choice.
His miscalculation on Glennon cost the Bears $18 million, not to mention credibility when it comes to trusting Pace’s ability to evaluate quarterbacks. The signings of Akiem Hicks, who’s having a Pro Bowl season, Danny Trevathan and Prince Amukamara look like smart deals. But too many examples such as Antrel Rolle, Eddie Royal and Markus Wheaton exist to count on the Bears buying their way back into the playoffs. Even Pernell McPhee, Pace’s first big signing, has been injured enough to wonder if his five-year, $38.8 million deal was such a steal after all.
Pace’s personnel judgment became magnified Monday when the Bears cut kicker Connor Barth, his handpicked replacement for Robbie Gould. Since Pace cut Gould in 2016, the Bears’ all-time leading scorer has hit 29 of 31 field-goal attempts, consistency Barth lacked through his final 46-yard miss against the Lions.
On Sunday, the latest reason to debate Pace arrives, and he wears No. 17 for the Eagles. A Bears team with pedestrian wide receivers allowed Pro Bowl-caliber Alshon Jeffery to enter free agency rather than apply the franchise tag again — which opened Pace up to criticism.
In fairness, as the Tribune reported as early as January 2016, Jeffery wanted out of Chicago at his earliest opportunity, a reality that affected Pace’s options. The Bears miss Jeffery, but that decision went beyond football.
Pace’s job is complicated, the equation for success complex and his results mixed. Overall, good and bad arm-wrestle for supremacy. The Bears remain at least another solid draft class and free-agent haul away from contending, provided the coach Pace hires instills discipline immediately.
Feel free to applaud the direction under Pace, but realize you are being encouraged by a pretty ordinary performance at the executive level. The Bears fired predecessor Phil Emery after three seasons — and his teams were 23-25. Respect for Jerry Angelo (95-81), discarded in 2011 after 11 seasons, grows every day.
The minute Pace drafted Mitch Trubisky with the No. 2 pick, their careers became intertwined. Pace’s job security increased. The unknowns about Trubisky’s development stand as the biggest reason Fox’s seat is hotter.
We already know what Fox is. But just as Chicago anticipates how good Trubisky will be, similar curiosity surrounds Pace. Maybe that we still are asking after almost three years answers the question, maybe not.
In some ways, Pace has become the front-office equivalent of Trubisky: a young professional in a major market doing a job for the first time whose positives become exaggerated and negatives rationalized. But the McCaskeys need Pace to succeed almost as much as they do Trubisky.
By the time they cut the ribbon on their new facility in 2019, the GM they clearly believe in better have rebuilt a playoff team too.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @davidhaug
David Haugh
Chicago Tribune
At 4:31 p.m. Friday, the Bears issued a news release announcing a major, 162,000-square-foot addition to Halas Hall they boasted will “completely transform” the football operations side of the facility.
The timing seemed odd given that Friday afternoon NFL news dumps typically involve ticket increases or staff dismissals. On the other hand, the Bears bringing little attention to a rebuilding project fits perfectly into what’s going on under the watch of general manager Ryan Pace.
The Bears have stopped short of publicly labeling the process under Pace a rebuild the way, say, the White Sox or Bulls have. But that’s exactly what it is. They might as well have called a news conference and had Pace put on a hard hat to take questions about the expansion or the Bears roster.
“I’m proud of this,’’ Pace told the team’s website. “It shows a major commitment to winning from our ownership and leadership.’’
It also shows more faith in Pace than he probably deserves with the Bears 12-30 since he took over as GM.
Reports of the team’s ambitious construction project made clear Pace’s fingerprints were all over the blueprints. The projected timetable says workers will break ground next March and finish by August 2019. The implication: Pace still will be in charge at 1920 Football Drive by its completion.
Anybody else find that presumptuous?
Speculation about coach John Fox’s likely dismissal usually assumes Pace will return, with the prevailing belief Fox had more to do with the losing than his boss. That point can be defended but absolves Pace of responsibility, even though talent evaluation has been too iffy to earn the benefit of the doubt.
If Pace returns for a fourth season, as expected, it should be viewed as the Bears wanting to avoid hitting reset on another regime change — in the name of continuity — more than an endorsement. Saying Fox is the only reason for the Bears losing is as silly as talking politics at Thanksgiving dinner.
Pace represents the Bears in exemplary fashion. He’s a likable, charismatic 40-year-old executive whose command of the job has improved considerably since his introduction Jan. 9, 2015. But any fair accounting of Pace’s tenure balances his respectable draft record against troubling free-agent misses.
For every unearthed draft pick such as Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen or Eddie Jackson, there is a free-agent flop such as Mike Glennon and Alan Ball. Building through the draft around core guys such as Cody Whitehair and Eddie Goldman makes sense, but it’s not as if Pace’s free-agent decisions gave the Bears much other choice.
His miscalculation on Glennon cost the Bears $18 million, not to mention credibility when it comes to trusting Pace’s ability to evaluate quarterbacks. The signings of Akiem Hicks, who’s having a Pro Bowl season, Danny Trevathan and Prince Amukamara look like smart deals. But too many examples such as Antrel Rolle, Eddie Royal and Markus Wheaton exist to count on the Bears buying their way back into the playoffs. Even Pernell McPhee, Pace’s first big signing, has been injured enough to wonder if his five-year, $38.8 million deal was such a steal after all.
Pace’s personnel judgment became magnified Monday when the Bears cut kicker Connor Barth, his handpicked replacement for Robbie Gould. Since Pace cut Gould in 2016, the Bears’ all-time leading scorer has hit 29 of 31 field-goal attempts, consistency Barth lacked through his final 46-yard miss against the Lions.
On Sunday, the latest reason to debate Pace arrives, and he wears No. 17 for the Eagles. A Bears team with pedestrian wide receivers allowed Pro Bowl-caliber Alshon Jeffery to enter free agency rather than apply the franchise tag again — which opened Pace up to criticism.
In fairness, as the Tribune reported as early as January 2016, Jeffery wanted out of Chicago at his earliest opportunity, a reality that affected Pace’s options. The Bears miss Jeffery, but that decision went beyond football.
Pace’s job is complicated, the equation for success complex and his results mixed. Overall, good and bad arm-wrestle for supremacy. The Bears remain at least another solid draft class and free-agent haul away from contending, provided the coach Pace hires instills discipline immediately.
Feel free to applaud the direction under Pace, but realize you are being encouraged by a pretty ordinary performance at the executive level. The Bears fired predecessor Phil Emery after three seasons — and his teams were 23-25. Respect for Jerry Angelo (95-81), discarded in 2011 after 11 seasons, grows every day.
The minute Pace drafted Mitch Trubisky with the No. 2 pick, their careers became intertwined. Pace’s job security increased. The unknowns about Trubisky’s development stand as the biggest reason Fox’s seat is hotter.
We already know what Fox is. But just as Chicago anticipates how good Trubisky will be, similar curiosity surrounds Pace. Maybe that we still are asking after almost three years answers the question, maybe not.
In some ways, Pace has become the front-office equivalent of Trubisky: a young professional in a major market doing a job for the first time whose positives become exaggerated and negatives rationalized. But the McCaskeys need Pace to succeed almost as much as they do Trubisky.
By the time they cut the ribbon on their new facility in 2019, the GM they clearly believe in better have rebuilt a playoff team too.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @davidhaug
