How J.P. Holtz Became a Bear Shows How Insanely Detailed Ryan Pace Is

Ryan Pace gets a ton of grief from time to time over his biggest failures. That isn't a surprise. Every GM in every sport knows that sort of thing just comes with the job. He can't afford to let it stop him from continuing to find ways to make his team better. One area that has constantly given him problems the past few years is tight end. Both his biggest ventures at the position, free agent Trey Burton and former 2nd round pick Adam Shaheen, have proven to be big disappointments. This is what started the Chicago Bears on track to a connection with J.P. Holtz.

Most fans had likely never even heard the name before. Not surprising. Holtz spent four years at the University of Pittsburgh where he had minimal production as a receiver (350 yards and 4 TDs as a senior). This is why he went undrafted in 2016. From there he bounced from the Cleveland Browns to the Washington Redskins in 2018 and found his way onto their practice squad. By next summer in 2019, he saw considerable action in the preseason.

It was there, according to Bears tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic that the team took notice of him.

“Before he got here, his versatility that he showed in preseason playing for the Redskins, him playing that fullback position role, him in-line blocking, you could flex him out a little bit, that was what intrigued us,” tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. said earlier this season. “Being able to open up our offense and what we could so schematically a little bit. And then his toughness. His willingness to do those things and to execute them relatively well.”

J.P. Holtz never actually played in front of the Bears

Why is this important? Keep in mind it's not like Holtz made a nice impression while the Redskins were playing the Bears during the preseason. The two teams never met. That means Pace and his staff had their eyes on him from a distance, proving again just how detail-oriented and thorough the Bears GM is. A reputation he's cultivated for years dating back to his time with the New Orleans Saints.

Things progressed slowly at first as he worked his way into learning the offense, but soon the Bears found a role for him. They felt he was a terrific H-back who could serve as both a tight end and fullback. It's worth noting that when he started getting significant snaps at the end of October was also that same time that David Montgomery began to get on track. Prior to Holtz's promotion, the rookie averaged 3.25 yards per carry. After? It jumped to 3.71.

Holtz has also emerged as a threat in the passing game with three catches for 56 yards against Dallas last week. This 26-year old is proving to be a quality find for the Bears and at dirt-cheap prices. Another reminder that for some of his noteworthy mistakes, Pace is pretty good at this GM-ing thing.