Ryan Pace is, shall we say, a divisive figure among Chicago Bears fans at the present moment. It’s almost like he is hated and loved in equal measure. Many revile him for his many noteworthy blunders like Kevin White, Mitch Trubisky, Adam Shaheen, Anthony Miller, Mike Glennon, and Robert Quinn. If not for those high-profile missteps, it’s hard not to wonder how far this team could’ve gone in the past few years.
At the same time, Pace is also the guy who put the team in that position, to begin with. As much as people love to attack his failures, he has produced plenty of successes too. Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Eddie Jackson, Roquan Smith, David Montgomery, and of course Khalil Mack. He’s built a talented roster, but also an incomplete one. Yet that shouldn’t take away from a lot of the things he does well.
Things that might be underappreciated.
While everybody talks about his ability to find talent late in the draft, not enough bring up his other unheralded prowess. That being the knack for pinpointing quality free agents late in the offseason. Most probably don’t think about it much because it happens so casually at times that it’s easy to miss. Yet some of the more impactful signings Pace has made have happened far from March and April.
- 2015 – Tracy Porter on June 8th
- 2016 – Josh Sitton on September 4th
- 2019 – Kevin Pierre-Louis on May 8th
- 2020 – Cairo Santos on August 25th
All of those players made meaningful impacts in those respective seasons for the Bears. Be it on offense, defense, or special teams. Sitton made the Pro Bowl. Santos had the best kicking season in team history. The fact Pace snagged these guys so late in the process is a testament to how relentless he is at finding ways to improve the roster. Now it seems he may have done it again. Not once, but twice.
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Ryan Pace upgrade two positions for pennies
It started on July 25th when the Bears came to an agreement with veteran tight end Jesse James. Formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. Literally from his first practice on, the man was a factor in the passing game. His connection with rookie quarterback Justin Fields is real and it’s been producing for weeks now. He went from somebody competing for a final depth chart spot to the unquestioned #3 tight end behind Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham.
Ryan Pace wasn’t done though. Just over a week later, he struck again when he signed veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree. It didn’t seem like much at the time. The Bears had sudden depth issues. The 29-year old had proven experience and a connection to their coaching staff. Then he proceeds to go out and intercept six passes in his first four practices. Yet another guy who entered as a fringe name is suddenly a virtual lock to make the roster and an upgrade over what the Bears originally had.
This is what smart GMs do.
Never stop scouting. Always be on the lookout for quality talent that other teams might’ve glossed over. James and Ogletree have proven in the past that they can be good football players. Now the Bears have them on the roster for a combined less than $3 million. It isn’t the flashiest thing he’s done, but don’t be surprised if those two moves go a long way in helping this team battle for a playoff spot.
