The
Chicago Bears no doubt hoped they wouldn't be here again. In the midst of a losing season with the likelihood growing each day they'll have to fire their GM. Ryan Pace was supposed to be the guy who ended that trend. He came painfully close to doing so. The 2018 season looked like a watershed moment. A division title, a promising young QB, and an elite defense? The sky felt like the limit.
Now here the Bears are. They're 5-7 on a six-game losing streak with the bottom falling out. George McCaskey can't run from reality. Pace will
have to go. He has too many mistakes to answer for. None more so than drafting Mitch Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017. Mistakes like that just can't be forgiven. Pace has to go.
The problem is what do they do to replace him?
McCaskey has already
tried this before. He's admitted he isn't a football guy. He is a fan. That is why he tends to lean on the help of others to guide him through the process. It happened five years ago in 2015, remember? Chicago brought in former Colts, Browns, and Giants GM Ernie Accorsi to be their consultant on the search for a new GM and new head coach. That is how they ended up with Pace and John Fox.
Obviously, that didn't work out as hoped. So Bears fans probably aren't tickled about the idea of McCaskey trying that route again. Still, there are other consulting possibilities besides Accorsi. Perhaps some had a little better success than others. One name they might want to look at is an old enemy from up north. None other than former Green Bay Packers GM Ron Wolf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCFJiBPRKi4&ab_channel=NFL
Chicago Bears can trust Wolf to find them a good eye for talent
Wolf is in the Hall of Fame for a reason. He's regarded as one of the best general managers of the Super Bowl era. The architect of those great Packers teams of the 1990s. Though he retired years ago, he's maintained a role in the league as a periodic consultant for teams in need of help finding new GMs or head coaches. To date he's noted to have played a central role in two such instances.
Mike Holmgren (2010)
The Cleveland Browns were looked to overhaul their power structure towards the end of 2009 and brought Wolf in to consult. He reportedly recommended they hire former Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Holmgren as their new president of football operations. He would hold that position for three years. During that time he had a strong track record for pinpointing talent including names like Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, Jabaal Sheard, Jordan Cameron, Buster Skrine, and Mitchell Schwartz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0E9epqVWgU&ab_channel=BrettKollmann
Unfortunately, two factors led to Holmgren's downfall. First was the regrettable hire of Pat Shurmur as head coach in 2011. It made sense at the time given his reputation as a hotshot offensive mind but the guy had no true leadership qualities. Then came the entire 2012 season. Holmgren's position was made unclear when Jimmy Haslam bought the team from previous ownership. That coupled with the selection of Trent Richardson at #3 overall pretty much doomed him.
Still, the Browns probably wish they hadn't been so hasty to fire him since their overall drafting got much worse after he left.
Tom Telesco (2013)
Wolf resurfaced three years later when the San Diego Chargers called on him to help find a replacement for longtime GM A.J. Smith. He pointed them towards Indianapolis Colts director of player personnel Tom Telesco, an understudy of fellow Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian who'd constructed those great Colts teams of the 2000s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W8BiSRWekU&ab_channel=NFL
All things considered, that was a good call. Telesco has established a reputation as one of the better talent evaluators in the NFL. His list of draft hits includes Keenan Allen, Jason Verrett, Melvin Gordon, Joey Bosa, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, Desmond King, Derwin James, and now of course Justin Herbert.
So the Chicago Bears can trust Wolf to at least do one thing. He'll find them a guy who understands how to evaluate and find good players. The big question is whether those executives can locate a proper head coach.
