People have zeroed in on Mitch Trubisky as the primary driving force against Ryan Pace as Chicago Bears GM. That’s not hard to understand. When you draft a top 5 quarterback who fails to become a franchise guy, that can set an organization back years. However, for all the hoopla the reality is Trubisky isn’t the biggest indictment against Pace. At least the quarterback had one good year in 2018 and managed to play in a Pro Bowl. No, the much more damning evidence against the GM is his other 1st round disappointment, Leonard Floyd.
Unlike Trubisky, the former 9th overall pick, whom Pace also traded up to get in 2016, has yet to have a true standout season of any kind. He’s played a total of 54 games and has 18.5 sacks to show for it. By contrast? The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt in 2017 and he already has 34.5 sacks. Floyd has seven sacks in his last 32 regular season games. Has this stopped Pace from continuing to shower him with support in public?
Not a chance. His latest comments at the press conference to close the season prove that much.
“We’re happy with Leonard. I know the stats don’t always say that. Leonard does a lot of things that go a little undervalued. The versatility he provides, things he can do in coverage. Not a lot of outside linebackers that can provide the versatility he provides.
Would we like more production with him? Yeah. Would he like that? Yeah. There’s a lot of things he does that we like.”
Ryan Pace has a bad habit of sticking too long with players
One thing that can often separate successful general managers from unsuccessful ones is how fast they’re willing to admit they made a mistake on a player or coach. Or even if they’re willing to admit it at all. Pace stuck with Kevin White for four seasons despite clear evidence by the end of the third that the kid was too brittle for the NFL. By contrast, Ozzie Newsome ushered Breshad Perriman out the door after three injury-plagued years in Baltimore.
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That was the first sign that Pace has a bad tendency of not recognizing players he’s acquired not measuring up. Floyd is another example. This constant talk about him being so valuable in coverage is nice and all, but the reality is he has nine passes defended and one interception in four years. Not exactly an even trade for the several sacks he’s missed.
Sticking with Floyd has also hampered the best player on the team. Khalil Mack is a superstar. Everybody knows this. However, he’s still just one man. Unless somebody else is able to draw some attention from blockers, then opponents are free to send two or three guys at Mack all day long.
If anything, the injury to Akiem Hicks exposed just how inadequate Floyd is as a #2 outside linebacker in this defense. For all the versatility he brings, this is a passing league. He was drafted to put the quarterback on the ground. He hasn’t done that nearly enough. Yet that doesn’t seem to perturb Pace too much. That is what is truly inexcusable.
