People love to dump on Ryan Pace these days. They call him the worst GM the Chicago Bears have had in a long time. Look, the man has made mistakes. Mitch Trubisky? Huge. Kevin White? Adam Shaheen? Mike Glennon? Robert Quinn? All definite blunders. Yet the man can’t be called a complete failure. One doesn’t rebuild a team from where it was in 2014 to a competitor the past three years without doing some things right.
Pace’s greatest strength has been his consistent ability to find talent later in draft and undrafted free agency. Not just decent rotational guys. We’re talking capable starters and even a Pro Bowler or two. It’s been a consistent stream at multiple positions. Both offense and defense.
- RB: Jordan Howard (5th)
- WR: Darnell Mooney (5th)
- OL: Sam Mustipher (UDFA)
- DL: Bilal Nichols (5th)
- LB: Nick Kwiatkoski (4th)
- CB: Adrian Amos (5th)
- S: Eddie Jackson (4th)
This is one of the reasons Pace still has so many supporters.
Yet it’s difficult to trust the man considering he never seems to keep his word. Especially when it comes to the quarterback position. Don’t forget one of his first statements as GM way back in 2015. Words that ring hollow these days for how appalling false they turned out to be.
“I think it’s a good idea to add a quarterback every year.”
It is easily the biggest mystery of his entire tenure as GM. Pace has drafted almost every other position at least once in the later rounds. Not quarterback. Not even a 6th or 7th round flier. In fact, he’s only signed an undrafted free agent once. That was Shane Carden in 2015. Since then it’s been a steady stream of veterans, only interrupted by his one massive swing for Trubisky four years ago. Not a single pick in the later rounds spent on the most important position in football.
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Ryan Pace has already proven he can’t evaluate the position
Every notable move he’s made at quarterback to this point has blown up in his face. Glennon, Trubisky, and Nick Foles. One would think a smart GM would understand this and come to a realization. Maybe the best thing to do is take more swings, thereby increasing the odds of you hitting on one. Yet six drafts have come and gone. Just one quarterback selected. Will 2021 be the year he finally breaks that streak?
It honestly might be too late. Ryan Pace no longer has the benefit of time on his side. An ability to take chances on later round QBs and seeing their development through. This offseason is about one thing and one thing only. Finding a way to preserve his job as Bears GM. He isn’t likely thinking about the future. It’s all about winning now. Every pick in this draft will be treated with the same question.
Who can help us win this year?
A quarterback isn’t going to enter that conversation. So while drafting one might be for the good of the franchise in the long-term, don’t be surprised if this becomes the sixth of seven offseasons where Pace fails to keep his word. Yes, the team continues to do deep research on several QB prospects. They do that every year though and every year it comes to nothing. It might be time to stop thinking about it ever happening.