Bears Consultants Reportedly See Two Options On Ryan Pace Issue

With two games left in the season, this is usually the time when leaks start happening if an organization is planning changes. The Jacksonville Jaguars are already on the move in that regard. Most believe the Chicago Bears aren't far behind. The general consensus is that Matt Nagy won't be the head coach following the end of the season. What people haven't been able to figure out is the fate that awaits GM Ryan Pace. SM reported yesterday that it seems as if changes are coming to the front office. It's a matter of the extent. Either Pace will be fired and replaced or he will be retained with a likely shakeup of the front office. This could hinge on the sort of advice George McCaskey gets from the multiple outside sources he has reached out to. Based on what Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog is hearing, the picture is coming into focus.

This falls in line with what SM has heard with one interesting detail.

Keeping Pace is definitely an idea that has at least some traction. He's delivered a number of quality young talents to the roster over the past few years. Roquan Smith, David Montgomery, Jaylon Johnson, and Darnell Mooney stand out the most. This is in addition to the high hopes for quarterback Justin Fields. It isn't a gigantic stretch to think a more capable coaching staff might maximize a roster that isn't totally devoid of talent. However, the idea of replacing him with an unproven first-time GM doesn't feel like it'd be a smart gamble to take. This means that the Bears would want to find somebody more proven for the job. A former or even current GM they can bring in to take over. Somebody they could feel confident would have a reasonable chance of building on what Pace has accomplished. Otherwise, it might be safer to give him one more shot at finding the right coach.

If this is the approach on Ryan Pace, the Bears have options

People always talk about retreads at head coach. They sometimes forget it can happen with GMs too. Martin Mayhew was the GM of the Detroit Lions from 2008 to 2015. Now he is the GM in Washington. Dave Gettleman was the GM in Carolina and is now the same in New York. Trent Baalke just became the GM in Jacksonville years after losing the same position in San Francisco. There have been plenty of examples of guys getting second chances. If that is the direction the Bears go, who are some names they could look into? Here is a shortlist of possibilities that make sense.

Rick Smith

The former GM of the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2017. He provided a steady pipeline of Pro Bowlers that included Brandon Brooks, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deshaun Watson. He stepped away due to the ill-health of his late wife but is now ready to return.

John Dorsey

From 2013 to 2019 he was the GM in both Kansas City and Cleveland. During that stretch, he brought a string of outstanding talents to the NFL from Travis Kelce to Tyreek Hill, Christian Jones, Marcus Peters, Patrick Mahomes, Denzel Ward, and Nick Chubb. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Travis-Kelce-GAME-WINNING-TD-Catch-vs.-Chargers.mp4"][/video]

Jeff Ireland

The former GM in Miami from 2008 to 2013, he developed a strong track record in the draft with Jake Long, Vontae Davis, Olivier Vernon, and Jarvis Landry. Now he's the assistant GM in New Orleans with guys like Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, and Alvin Kamara.

Reggie McKenzie

His legacy in Oakland will be remembered as mixed. McKenzie had some down years as GM but he also had two outstanding drafts in 2014 and 2015 with Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, and Amari Cooper. Now he's helped rebuild the Dolphins into a contender. Those are just the ones that aren't currently running their own teams. If the Bears really want to be aggressive, they can try prying a sitting GM from another front office. It comes down to whether McCaskey feels any of them is an upgrade over Ryan Pace. The Bears GM is doing everything he can behind the scenes to argue his case. Given how fast the head coach market figures to move just over a week from now, expect a decision to be made somewhere in that timeframe.