Ryan Pace is in the midst of his seventh offseason running the Chicago Bears. Only two other men not named George Halas can make that claim. Some will say it’s a testament to the work he’s done in rebuilding the team from the ashes of 2014. Others will say it is a sign of how good of a salesman he is to the McCaskey family. Either way, this offseason might easily be the most important in his professional career.
What stands out about it thus far? Honestly, not much. One could make the case that this has been the most uneventful offseason of Pace’s run. Outside of franchise tagging Allen Robinson, re-signing Cairo Santos, and grabbing Andy Dalton on a one-year deal to be the new starting quarterback? The Bears haven’t done much of anything noteworthy.
Where is that trademark Pace splash moment?
Rest assured, it is definitely a thing. Pace is a GM who has always operated around bold moves. He isn’t the type who believes in just hanging back and letting things fall where they may. His tenure is defined by being aggressive, taking chances, and trying to make his team as competitive as possible. Every single offseason has encountered at least one big move by Pace.
- 2015: Signed Pernell McPhee, Antrel Rolle, and Eddie Royal on same day
- 2016: Traded up for Leonard Floyd
- 2017: Traded up for Mitch Trubisky
- 2018: Traded for Khalil Mack
- 2019: Traded up for David Montgomery
- 2020: Signed Robert Quinn and traded for Nick Foles
Not every splash is as big as others but this is not an isolated incident. Pace always looks to make a signature move at some point during an offseason. It hasn’t happened yet. Not for lack of trying, mind you. Remember the Bears were involved in possible discussions to sign tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Neither came to fruition. So the Bears continue to wait for their moment.
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And yes, one is coming.
Ryan Pace almost always does something big in the draft
The Floyd, Trubisky, and Montgomery trades offer plenty of proof. Also, don’t forget the huge jump he made in 2018 to get Anthony Miller in the 2nd round. Those two trades he made in the 5th round last season for Trevis Gipson and Darnell Mooney? Put it this way. It would be a huge surprise if the Bears don’t do something early in the 2021 draft from a trade standpoint.
They’re surrounded by rumors of possibly jumping up for a quarterback. Something that isn’t hard to see given Dalton’s one-year deal. They could also put a double move by grabbing somebody at #20 and then jumping back into the 2nd round for a QB of their choice. Either way, movement should be expected. Maybe they even try to make one more run at Russell Wilson with a chance to offer four 1st round picks on draft night. Ryan Pace isn’t the type to shrink from something that crazy.
For better or worse, he believes in going for it.
Some will argue that mentality is what got the Bears into their current mess. Truth be told, if he’d gotten the quarterback right back in 2017 this team would be Super Bowl contenders right now. Pace isn’t perfect but he’s better than he gets credit for. If this is his last dance as a general manager, expect him to go out on his terms.