For all the talk about Matt Nagy and the likelihood he doesn’t return as head coach of the Chicago Bears, an equally big conversation is being had about Ryan Pace. The man has been the GM for this team since 2015. While he deserves credit for rebuilding the roster from the ashes of the Phil Emery era, one can’t really call his tenure a success. Just one winning record in seven seasons and no playoff victories.
Several of his biggest moves have proven to be failures including Kevin White, Adam Shaheen, Mitch Trubisky, and of course Nagy. This is why many following the Bears feel it’s time for George McCaskey to make a change. Despite his fondness for what Pace has done in modernizing the organization, the bottom line remains he didn’t accomplish his most important goals. He didn’t win a Super Bowl and hasn’t closed the gap with Green Bay.
That is all that matters in the end.
So perhaps the Bears should bring in somebody that has. Rumblings around the team over the past few weeks suggest that if McCaskey did make a change, he would prefer somebody with proven experience. Somebody with a strong track record for roster construction. Here is a name to consider. What about John Schneider? That may confuse some people since he is currently GM of the Seattle Seahawks. However, from the way NBC Sports insider Peter King talks, it might not be that way for much longer.
There is no question things in Seattle look bleak. Pete Carroll is 70-years old. Russell Wilson isn’t playing like a star anymore and the team is 3-8. It feels more and more like the time is approaching for a reboot of the franchise. That would mean cleaning house, starting with Schneider at the top. A man who has held his position for 11 years.
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Chicago Bears must consider Schneider if he’s available
He already has the blueprint for building a perennial contender. The man built the 2013 Seahawks team that dominated Denver in the Super Bowl. He built the team that should’ve beaten the Patriots for a second straight title in 2014 if not for a brutal Wilson goal line interception in the final seconds. All one has to do is look at the array of talent he has drafted over the years to get an idea of his abilities.
- Russell Okung
- Earl Thomas
- Golden Tate
- Kam Chancellor
- K.J. Wright
- Richard Sherman
- Bobby Wagner
- Russell Wilson
- Frank Clark
- Tyler Lockett
- Jarran Reed
- Shaquill Griffin
- Michael Dickson
- D.K. Metcalf
It is hard to argue with a track record like that.
The problem many have with him is how overly aggressive he became during the Super Bowl window, at one point having traded away their 1st round picks in 2013, 2014, and 2015. This past offseason they only had three picks total in the draft. That said, Schneider routinely found ways to stockpile eight picks or more in every draft. So he kept the pipeline of potential young talent open.
Keep in mind he managed all of this despite Carroll having the final say on roster decisions. The Chicago Bears should be intrigued by the idea of what Schneider could do with full control. If the opportunity presents itself in the next month or so, then they must seize it.
