Assembling a winning team in the NFL is hard. Don’t let anybody try to sell you on the idea that it’s overcomplicated. It’s like trying to assemble the right formula for gunpowder. All the right chemical elements must be put in proper proportions or there won’t be an explosion. Even the smallest deviations can ruin it. This is the challenge Ryan Pace has been up against since taking over as Chicago Bears GM.
The part that people forget is that winning teams aren’t just built through one method. Most think if you assemble enough talented players, winning will become inevitable. That’s not true. There have been plenty of teams with a wealth of players on their roster who were physically gifted but never did anything.
So what’s the missing ingredient? What do the Bears need more of in order to finally get over the hump? It seems Pace thinks he’s found the answer based on the array of names he’s brought aboard in the past few months.
Ryan Pace brought in a host of men who are “hungry”
There was a quote from the movie Rocky III. In it, the title character was confronting his manager, Mickey, about why he wasn’t supporting Rocky in his desire to fight abrasive new challenger Clubber Lang. Mickey said it was because he couldn’t win. When Rocky proclaimed he’d defended his belt 10 times and this was just another fighter, Mickey countered with a great line.
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“No, he ain’t just another fighter. This guy is a wreckin’ machine, and he’s hungry! Hell, you ain’t been hungry since you won that belt!”
That word “hungry” kept coming up whenever I conducted a search for a way to describe this new talent Pace brought aboard since January. If one looks at the background of every notable addition in that time, they’re all coming in with a serious chip on their shoulder.
Like they have something to prove to everybody.
Allen Robinson: He was cast off by his former team due to a knee injury and he’s never played in a playoff game.
Taylor Gabriel: He’s viewed as a one-trick wonder who can’t do much else than run really fast. Also has the bitter taste of losing the Super Bowl two years ago.
Roquan Smith: Lost the national championship game to Alabama in heartbreaking fashion and constantly heard criticism about his size coming out of Georgia.
Anthony Miller: Despite being among the most productive receivers in the draft, he fell out of the first round and is constantly cautioned due to his size.
Trey Burton: Though he’s a Super Bowl hero, he’s been constantly looked down upon as a backup tight end best used as a gadget specialist and red zone threat. Nothing more.
Matt Nagy: Haunted by bitter playoff defeats all the way back to high school. People question whether he was the most qualified for the Bears job and if his offensive expertise was his own or merely a big assist from Andy Reid.
This is in addition to all the talent they already have on the roster who carry that same hunger. Mitch Trubisky still has his doubters over whether he can be a starter in the NFL. Jordan Howard is constantly overlooked despite being a top six rusher the past two years. Kyle Long has never tasted playoff football. Leonard Floyd hasn’t been able to play a full season due to freak injuries.
Then there’s the overarching issue.
The Bears team itself. Everybody who’s played at least one year on it has heard the jabs. They haven’t made the playoffs in eight years. Haven’t won a Super Bowl in over 30. This team will never learn how to win. Throw all that hunger, all that boiling anger and frustration and sooner or later it’s bound to explode like a volcano.
Just like Pace is no doubt hoping.
