Ryan Pace likes to fancy himself as unpredictable. To be fair, there is plenty of evidence to support this. He’s hatched some truly memorable shockers in his time as Chicago Bears GM. The blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack and the drafting of Mitch Trubisky being the two cornerstones. Yet beneath the surface of his Cloak & Dagger approach, the man is surprisingly easy to read.
How so? Namely, it centers around how he approaches the biggest need his team faces every offseason. While other GMs may seek a singular solution to any problem, Pace is a clear believer in hedging his bets. He won’t just acquire one option but two. This has occurred multiple times over the course of his tenure, so it’s not a coincidence.
Think about all of the examples.
After trading Brandon Marshall in 2015, the Bears were painfully thin at wide receiver. So Pace signs Eddie Royal to a three-year deal in free agency and grabs Kevin White with the 7th overall pick in the draft. The next year, it was inside linebacker on defense. So he signs both Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman in free agency while grabbing Nick Kwiatkoski in the draft. He even did it this past year, signing Jimmy Graham to a big deal at tight end and drafting Cole Kmet with his first pick.
Why is this important? Namely, because Pace has already done it once before at quarterback too. People may not want to remember but it happened in 2017. The Bears signed Mike Glennon to a three-year deal for $45 million in free agency. Then they trade up from #3 overall to #2 for Trubisky. The idea was simple. Glennon would be the bridge guy that season while Trubisky, who had just one year of experience as a starter in college, would spend the year learning on the bench.
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That plan fell apart one month into the season. Glennon struggled mightily and after a disastrous performance against Green Bay, he was benched for the rookie. The rest is history. While it didn’t work out back then, is it possible Ryan Pace could return to that strategy again in 2021? Yes, and here’s why.
Ryan Pace already has the first part of the equation
That being a veteran bridge option on the roster in Nick Foles. Obviously, Bears fans don’t want to hear that after suffering through what happened in the regular season. Foles looked way too overwhelmed at times behind a struggling offensive line. He finished with just 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Why would the team consider him?
Partly because they don’t have a choice. It’s no secret the Bears want to upgrade at quarterback and they’d prefer to go with a veteran option. Yet it’s looking like all of them will prove just out of reach. Deshaun Watson, Derek Carr, Dak Prescott, Matt Ryan, and Jimmy Garoppolo have been swarmed by speculation for weeks now. Yet none appear to be imminent threats to be moved. Jameis Winston will likely stay in New Orleans. Carson Wentz would be expensive and isn’t a guarantee to leave Philadelphia either.
Sam Darnold? Alex Smith? It doesn’t seem like they’d move the needle much.
This is why it’s possible Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy could shift their approach soon. One with the idea that Foles will be the initial starter with a rookie of some kind sitting behind him. The Bears hold the #20 pick in the draft but the GM has never been shy about moving up before. If any of the top four QBs slip between the #6 and #11 range, it’s fair to think Chicago might try to move up.
Here’s a great video of Trey Lance vs heavy pressure.
He’s raw. He’ll need time to develop.
To be overly optimistic, he reminds me of what Patrick Mahomes looked like coming out of TT.
Developed correctly, and he could be a monster on Sundays.
— Detroit Dan (@SportsofDetroit) January 28, 2021
For example, Trey Lance of North Dakota State is an intriguing talent this year. Yet teams have concerns about him having only one year of experience. Starting him right away would be a mistake. On the other hand, imagine him spending a season sitting behind somebody like Foles. A great teammate and mentor who’s seen the highs and lows of the NFL. It would be an interesting plan that could set the Bears up long-term.
Make no mistake. Going with Foles in a must-win season would be a gigantic gamble for Pace and Nagy. It will come down to how they fare in the market over the next three months and how confident they are a full offseason and maybe retooled offensive line can help the QB play better.
