It seems 2017 has gotten off to the same start. Glennon was their big signing on a three-year deal for $43.5 million and $18.5 million in guarantees. After that they focused on acquiring quality depth options. Quintin Demps had six interceptions in Houston last year as a safety. Tight end Dion Sims garners high praise for his pass blocking and underrated receiving skills. Markus Wheaton was a productive, if overlooked wide receiving target in Pittsburgh.
Maybe not the giant splash people were hoping for, but history says that the Bears are far from finished. If anything Pace has done his best work on later days. Tracy Porter wasn’t acquired until June of 2015. He became a surprise quality starter in the secondary. Jerrell Freeman and Akiem Hicks both played at a Pro Bowl level in 2016 while Josh Sitton actually went to the Pro Bowl. That’s solid work.
Besides, don’t forget some comments Pace himself has made.
"This is what I believe in: I believe that to have sustained success you must build your team through the draft." – Ryan Pace
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) March 9, 2017
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Last week I asked #Bears GM Ryan Pace about the challenge of staying disciplined in free agency. This was his response: pic.twitter.com/g6VJk1Z5e4
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) March 9, 2017
His job is not to find superstars in free agency. His job is to find solid players with some upside while searching for potential future stars in the draft. He’s made four moves to this point and in the eyes of Bears fans, it’s been a colossal failure. Understandable since the team dropped several hints that they planned to do some serious spending.
Here’s the thing though. Free agency lasts more than one day. There are still several players out there. Ones who can perform on a football field with some serious skill. Ones who can be had at a much more appetizing price the longer the process draws out. That is where Pace really earns his pay. Finding quality talent at manageable prices.
Rest assured the spending has just begun. The Bears may have come out of the blocks slow, but they’ve also shown great buildup speed this time of year.
