The buzzword of the 2021 offseason for the Chicago Bears is “collaboration.” Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace have used it so much by this point that fans grow ill every time they hear it. Jokes aside, the message they’re trying to convey is a good one. Only by working together can the two men achieve their main objectives. That being to win football games and subsequently save their jobs.
This was something that ruined Pace four years ago. By refusing to listen to previous head coach John Fox, he ended up picking the wrong quarterback in Mitch Trubisky. If he’d “collaborated” with Fox properly, he’d have gotten Deshaun Watson. Or at the very least he would’ve nabbed a stud safety in Jamal Adams. The point being he learned this lesson the hard way. Maybe it’s a good idea to listen to the man who has to coach the players you’re picking.
In fact, there is something Nagy does that Pace could learn from.
A willingness to continually tweak his coaching staff. That is to say, adding fresh faces who might bring new ideas to the table. He’s been doing it since he arrived in 2018. He brought in Brad Childress as a senior assistant in 2019. A year later he overhauled the offensive staff with new faces like John DeFilippo, Juan Castillo, and Bill Lazor. Now, this offseason he added former Texas head coach Tom Herman and former Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as senior assistants.
It’s clear Nagy never stops trying to add capable football minds to his staff. Herman and Pettine both have reputations for being smart on their sides of the ball. Having their input should make the Bears better provided he has an open mind. This is something Pace has never done. Since 2015, the Bears GM has made zero noteworthy additions to the front office.
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Matt Nagy offers proof that such a method can work
Last season provided the example. The additions of Lazor, Castillo, and DeFilippo were instrumental in helping the team overcome one of the toughest stretches of football the Bears had played in a long time. After losing four-straight going into the bye week, Nagy began to lean on his assistants more. DeFilippo came down from the booth to interact with Mitch Trubisky directly. Lazor took over play-calling duties. Castillo also reconfigured the offensive line, shifting Cody Whitehair to left guard, Germain Ifedi to right tackle, and inserting Sam Mustipher at center.
The results were seen almost immediately on offense. Chicago ran the ball better and Trubisky played with improved efficiency. This helped them win three-in-a-row in December to save their season, making the playoffs. Matt Nagy was vindicated at that moment for the changes he’d made to the staff. Pace needs to consider the possibility that adding fresh faces to the mix could also benefit the Bears. Especially as they consider pursuing a young quarterback.
Remember this is the same front office that selected Trubisky back in 2017.
Perhaps they could’ve benefitted from trying to add somebody who’s had success in other organizations at finding QBs. Somebody like former Texas GM Rick Smith who remains available. He’s the man who selected Deshaun Watson. Input from somebody like him could prove invaluable. Yet it appears Pace is more about loyalty to his guys. While admirable in a personal sense, it doesn’t help the Bears get better.