One of the predictions even before the 2020 season was over proved prophetic. It was said that if GM Ryan Pace survived being fired at the end of the year, he was going to aggressively pursue a quarterback in the draft. This in an effort to buy himself and head coach Matt Nagy more time. Time to get the Chicago Bears over the hump. Sure enough, Pace executed that plan last month when he jumped up for Justin Fields in the 1st round.
The move was applauded almost universally between fans and the media. However, one question has continued to linger. Does this pick actually buy Pace and Nagy more time? If so, how much? It was speculated back in January that both men came quite close to being fired. Then team chairman George McCaskey chose to maintain the status quo. He has a firm belief in them and their vision for the franchise.
Is drafting Fields a sign they’re more secure than people thought?
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has heard from a number of NFL people. All of whom believe this is the case. In their minds, it’s unlikely McCaskey would’ve signed off on such an aggressive move like that unless he was firmly behind Pace and Nagy. If so, then how long do they conceivably have to get this thing pointed in the right direction? Longer than you might be thinking.
“I can tell you some personnel officials with other teams whom I’ve chatted with believe the arrival of Fields gives Pace and Nagy at least two more years. If Fields gets on the field as a rookie and plays well, both could be in line for potential contract extensions, especially if the team has success too.”
That might sound inconceivable to some people. Upon examining the facts though? It’s really not. Pace and Nagy have made the playoffs twice in three years. Yes, 2020 was aided by an expansion of the number of teams that could make it but the fact doesn’t change. They made it twice and did so with frankly C-grade quarterback play at best. It isn’t something to necessarily celebrate but it should be a little more appreciated.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Continuity could prove vital to Justin Fields development
Learning an NFL offense is difficult. It can’t be done in the space of one season. Mastery almost always takes at least two years. That is why switching regimes early in the development cycle of Fields would be a risky venture at best. Upon examining the array of 1st round quarterbacks since 2010, here are all the ones who saw their coaching staffs change after their rookie seasons.
- Paxton Lynch
- Dwayne Haskins
- Josh Rosen
- Brandon Weeden
- Blaine Gabbert
- Sam Darnold
- Mitch Trubisky
- Daniel Jones
- Baker Mayfield
- Marcus Mariota
- Jared Goff
- Jameis Winston
Not the most inspiring list. Some people might chalk this up to most of these quarterbacks being bad. Yet the trend speaks for itself. Is it a coincidence that most of the noteworthy “busts” in the past decade tended to experience a lack of continuity with the coaching staff? It probably doesn’t help. Especially if the organization fails to find a better replacement.
The Bears have already made this mistake before.
They tossed the first regime that inherited Trubisky. They constantly changed offensive coordinators when Jay Cutler arrived. Rex Grossman had a new head coach by his second season. Quick changes haven’t done this organization a lot of good at the quarterback position. So maybe it’s time to sit back and let things gestate. See if allowing Pace and Nagy to build around Justin Fields can lead to the desired results.