The common saying goes that a team can’t be built through free agency. One must construct a roster via the draft. While this is true for the most part, free agency still plays a vital role in speeding up the improvement of a team. For three years Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace operated on the market with caution. He sought out mostly younger and cheaper options with upside, hoping to land a couple hidden gems.
It didn’t go over too well, aside from the big hit with Akiem Hicks. Going into 2018, Pace could no longer get by with this soft approach. He got his quarterback. He got his new head coach. The time had come to start thinking about winning. That meant going all Mr. Scrooge after the Ghost of Christmas Future and opening up that pocketbook.
Pace didn’t disappoint. In the space of 48 hours, he managed to swing deals with four notable free agents, all of whom drastically increase the point-scoring potential of their team going into this season. It was such a statement by the organization that much of the national media couldn’t help but take notice.
Chicago Bears free agent work earns top NFL.com grade
Marc Sessler of NFL.com listed five teams who upgraded their rosters the most in free agency over the past few weeks. The Minnesota Vikings earned begrudgingly high marks for their additions of Kirk Cousins and Sheldon Richardson. Cleveland also got some love on their flurry of trade maneuver for the likes of Tyrod Taylor and Jarvis Landry, not to mention the signing of Carlos Hyde.
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However, it was the Bears who claimed his top spot.
“It’s been eons since the Bears were fun to watch on offense. Jay Cutler’s largely milquetoast run with Chicago was partly to blame, but the issues go beyond a lack of frisky quarterback play. The Bears have floated through too many autumns as an identity-free attack hellbent on sending their fans into a dreamless, dark slumber.
No more. With talented play-caller-turned-head-coach Matt Nagy at the controls, the Bears have used this offseason to build around second-year passer Mitchell Trubisky. After luring in big-fish wideout Allen Robinson, Nagy and friends added deep threat Taylor Gabriel and “Philly Special” hero Trey Burton. Burton is the kind of player who could see his role double in Chicago, while Gabriel looms as an X-factor if Nagy can unleash him the way Kyle Shanahan did with the Falcons two seasons ago.”
He’s not wrong. The Bears have always been more successful when they have an actual offense worth talking about. In fact, during the Super Bowl era, they’ve never had a record below 8-8 when they featured an offense that finished in the top 10 in scoring. Both of their Super Bowl teams fit that category. It seems Pace is one of the few who caught on to that reality. So he spent heavily to see if he could bring it back.
