Right now most people only think of one thing whenever Ryan Pace comes up in conversations. He's the guy who passed up Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson for Mitch Trubisky. It's true. There is no escaping this reality. The Chicago Bears GM had his choice of all three quarterbacks and he ended up with the worst one of the lot. It was the biggest moment of his executive career and he blew it. Many guys never recover from that.
In fact, Pace had a lot of questionable decisions that have haunted him from his first three years on the job. There were some high spots to be sure. Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Cody Whitehair, Eddie Jackson, and Tarik Cohen all come to mind. however, those were intermixed with a lot of really bad misfires like Kevin White, Hroniss Grasu, Leonard Floyd, Trubisky, and Adam Shaheen. Not to mention Mike Glennon.
The lack of consistency was a big factor in why it took so long for the Bears to start winning and those mistakes have continued to haunt the team even now. However, not all is lost. Pace is still one of the youngest GMs in the league and his most recent work in 2018 and 2019 shows signs of a man who has gained valuable experience.
Ryan Pace has his faults but he's also getting better
The biggest issue that plagued Pace in the first three years was for every good player he acquired, there would be a few bad ones who offered little value to the team. These past two offseasons have shown that he has been able to still keep securing good players but has reduced the number of whiffs along the way. Just look at some of his additions.
The draft:
- Roquan Smith - 222 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 INTs in first two years
- Anthony Miller - 642 yards in 14 games in 2019
- James Daniels - starter at left guard
- David Montgomery - 902 total yards in 14 games in 2019
The first three drafts for Chicago were wildly hit and miss for Pace. He'd have a couple of really nice standouts like Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, and Eddie Jackson. However, he'd also have some major misses or disappointments like Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, and Adam Shaheen. The past two years though have seen him get a little bit better at finding consistency with his top draft choices as all four of his picks in the 1st to 3rd round range have become quality contributors.
Free agency:
- Allen Robinson - 1,000 yards in 2020
- Cordarrelle Patterson - Pro Bowl special teamer
- Nick Williams - 6 sacks in 2019
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - 67 tackles and 2 INTs in 14 games
- Buster Skrine - 87.0 passer rating when targeted in 2019
This is the area where Pace has proven his mettle the most and it goes beyond just the past two years. One must also include Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Josh Sitton, and Prince Amukamara as high quality finds for the Bears dating back to 2016. Robinson was robbed of a Pro Bowl this year. Patterson proved to be a tremendous signing. The rest were pleasant surprises in various ways. Given his background as a pro scout, this shouldn't be a big surprise. It was Pace's specialty in New Orleans.
Trades:
- Khalil Mack - 2 Pro Bowls
People have been frustrated with him this year but that's not really fair. Mack was still a dominant presence for much of the season. He now has 20 sacks in his first two years with the Bears along with a ridiculous 11 forced fumbles. People can lament the lost draft picks all day. The fact is Mack is every bit as advertised. A future Hall of Famer at the top of his game. He's about to play in his second Pro Bowl for Chicago and is still just 28-years old. Pace knocked it out of the park with that one.
While nobody will say the Bears have had their best offseasons ever these past two years, both can be called productive. They secured a number of quality starters including two or three guys who are at or near the star level. This is how good GMs are supposed to operate. Nobody is right all the time. It's a matter of being right more often than not. Pace has finally found that batting average.
