People keep talking about Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace being on the hot seat. If they don’t win in 2021, they’re getting fired. This means they’ll be desperate, right? Yet is it possible this is merely the logical assumption by everybody and not the reality? Let us not forget how unwilling George McCaskey and Ted Phillips were to discuss the status of Pace’s contract. A curious thing at the time. One that could be taking on greater significance as the offseason continues to unfold.
Thus far nobody would accuse the Bears of acting like a team that is desperate. Yes, they made a strong push to trade for Russell Wilson. That should be expected of any team that doesn’t have a quarterback. Acquiring a future Hall of Famer isn’t a hard decision. Outside of that pursuit though, Chicago has been rather measured in their offseason approach. Not much in the way of aggressiveness. Andy Dalton and Angelo Blackson are the only free agents they’ve signed to this point. Both to modest deals.
The rest have been retaining their own players.
Where is the aggressiveness? That true sense of desperation. Just look at Arizona. Their GM Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury have operated with that sense of urgency this offseason. Here are some of the names they’ve acquired so far.
- J.J. Watt
- A.J. Green
- Rodney Hudson
On the surface, that looks exciting. Just remember the reality though. Watt turns 32 this month while Green and Hudson turn 33 and 32 respectively in July. The Cardinals are throwing a lot of money and draft capital around to acquire once-great players who are on the downside of their careers. A clear gamble that they have at least one more strong season in them to make the playoffs.
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The Bears have yet to do anything like that. In fact, they’re on the cusp of doing the exact opposite. Word persists the team could be unloading cornerback Kyle Fuller and defensive end Akiem Hicks for draft picks and/or cap relief. If this were a make-or-break year, wouldn’t it make more sense to do anything possible to keep those players?
Do Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace know something we don’t?
Thus far their approach makes little sense. At least not in the context of a team that is all-in on “going for it” in 2021. They’ve been measured and disciplined for the most part. No reckless multi-year deals to players 30 or older. Dalton was their only notable move that came across as aggressive and this was out of necessity since Nick Foles was their only QB on the roster.
The first wave of free agency passed them by. No big trade. No massive multi-year deal. Fuller and Hicks could be out with the likelihood they’d be replaced by relatively cheap acquisitions on the veteran market. This doesn’t feel like one last shake of the dice. It feels more like the beginnings of a soft reboot. A team that is trying to field a competitive roster while also getting their long-term finances in order.
Think about this.
Say Hicks and Fuller are traded. The Bears not only would secure some draft picks, but also $21.5 million in cap space for 2021. Not to mention clearing the way for 2022. Projections say they would have over $71.5 million in space next offseason presuming the cap rises as expected according to OverTheCap.com. They would also be free to cut Robert Quinn for an additional $6.7 million and Foles for $7 million (presuming he isn’t traded this year). That would raise it to $85.2 million. That along with a full slate of draft picks.
It would make for the perfect opportunity to aggressively reshape the roster and compete again next year. Is it possible this is the plan Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace sold Bears ownership on, which is why they were retained? Maybe it’s too early to tell, but the relatively passive start to this offseason combined with other bits of evidence suggest the GM and head coach aren’t on the hot seat as much as many believe.
