Let's Clear Something Up About Ryan Pace

With NFL free agency off to a roaring start, it is officially hot take season. But there are takes, and then there are “taeks”. And THEN there is just straight bullshit.

And regarding Chicago Bears’ GM Ryan Pace, Twitter’s been ablaze with bullshit this week. Some examples:

Ryan Pace has had career resurrection as #Bears GM. Hiring Matt Nagy best move. But deep down even Nagy knows he’s incompetent. Buster Skrine > Callahan? Will get credit for awhile, but Bears have a great team & no QB. Trubisky is the second coming of Mark Sanchez with mobility.

— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) March 16, 2019

The Matt Nagy hire and the Khalil Mack trade were very good. Beyond that, Ryan Pace's resume is extremely shaky.

— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) March 11, 2019

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Here’s my question: Where the hell is any of this coming from?

We remember how big of a steaming mess the Bears were back in 2015 when Ryan Pace took over, right? Phil Emery and Marc Trestman were fired after a 5-11 campaign that was even worse than the final record. Aaron Kromer had thrown Jay Cutler under the bus to the national media. The defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and the locker room was a circus. Pace took over that aging, expense roster and began purging it for the sake of his rebuild.

Three seasons into his rebuild, the Bears proved that they had some talent and plenty of heart, but poor coaching. John Fox showed he was nothing more than a motivator and he was fired after three seasons that produced optimism yet 6-10, 3-13, and 5-11 records, nonetheless.

Enter Matt Nagy and his wonderful coaching staff. Nagy, along with some additional pieces to the roster puzzle, produced a 12-4 record for the 2019 Bears. Chicago finished 5-1 in the division and won the NFC North for the first time since 2010. And the Bears are set up with a relatively strong window to compete for the next few years.

This is why these Twitter takes are so confounding. Let’s do a deep dive, shall we?

Chad Forbes

Let’s start with Chad Forbes. What the hell does he mean that Ryan Pace has had a “career resurrection” as the Bears’ GM? This response from Benjamin Allbright rebuttals it into the Sun:

Career resurrection? He was 37 and the hottest name in the game to hire as a GM when the Bears hired him.

Turned down other interviews, in fact.

What was he resurrected from? Being a star pro player personnel director for the Saints? https://t.co/U3qWkMmOY9

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 16, 2019

And then, Forbes says, “deep down, even Nagy knows he’s incompetent” and proceeds to use the Buster Skrine signing over Bryce Callahan as an example.

Never mind the fact that Callahan, while an excellent player when healthy, had trouble, well, staying healthy throughout his Bears’ career. You’d think Pace and the Bears would know his medical history better than Chad Forbes.

And here’s Nagy’s take on Skrine before the Bears’ game against the New York Jets in October: “He’s one of the better nickels in this league, if not the best. I mean, he’s good. He’s a good nickel in there.”

So yeah, I’m sure Nagy thinks Pace is incompetent for signing a player that Nagy liked on a cheaper deal than what Callahan got. Makes sense.

He then says the Bears “have a great team & no QB”. First of all, who does he think built that “great” team? Santa Claus?

That great team was built by … wait for it … none other than Ryan Pace!

And say what you want about Mitch Trubisky, the truth is we still don’t know what he is but he has shown plenty of promise, enough to be excited about Year 3. Also, the Mark Sanchez comparison? TOTAL nonsense.

Much more mobile, much stronger arm. Smarter. What a weird comparison. Almost nothing alike.

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 16, 2019

So yeah, Forbes’ take was bad.

Peter Bukowski

Now, let’s go to the Peter Bukowski take. Keep in mind, he’s a Packers’ fan. So brace yourself.

Yes, the Matt Nagy hire was clearly excellent, as he won the Coach of the Year award and got the Bears to the playoffs. The Khalil Mack trade was a franchise changing move. But then Bukowski says the rest of Pace’s resume is extremely shaky.

Again, why?

Under Pace, the Bears at various points have added: Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Roy Robertson-Harris, Bilal Nichols, Mack, Leonard Floyd (who has improved), Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith, Bryce Callahan, Prince Amukamara, Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Cody Whitehair, Bobby Massie, James Daniels, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

He’s extended players who are deserving of such deals: Kyle Fuller, Charles Leno Jr., Massie, and Kyle Long.

And that list doesn’t even include players whom the jury is still out on: Trubisky, Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, Javon Wims, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Rashaad Coward, Kevin Toliver, Isaiah Irving, Deon Bush, Buster Skrine, Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson, and others.

Sure, he’s had his misses: Kevin White, Marcus Cooper, Mike Glennon, Dion Sims, and the whole kicker situation. But in each case, his negotiations have given the Bears an easy out (such as with Glennon and Cooper). The Bears haven’t hamstrung themselves at all with the cap. They’ve had plenty of flexibility to tinker with the roster.

This isn’t a situation like, say, Ozzie Newsome (who is universally respected) signing Joe Flacco to a monstrous contract, only to have it backfire spectacularly.

The roster has seen almost 100% turnover since he took over — this includes hits and misses. A scout or GM is never perfect. The art of evaluating football players and projecting them in various schemes and roles is difficult and inexact. It’s not easy to balance past production with future potential, or athleticism with instincts. And yet, Pace has done a largely fantastic job.

So again, it’s unclear what the hell Bukowski is thinking. Shocking from a Packers’ fan. Also, here’s this for you:

Brilliant Bukowski responds "Probably" to a question about whether the Bears overpaid Kyle Fuller. Here's what's interesting:

1. Fuller was an elite CB last year.

2. The Packers were the ones who signed Fuller to that god damn offer sheet in the first place. They lost. https://t.co/9AWOLOsEqW

— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) March 12, 2019

Conclusion

It’s simple: Ryan Pace is an excellent GM who has done far more good than bad for the Bears. He has set up his quarterback for success as well as any front office can. It’s up to Trubisky to take the next step under Nagy’s tutelage.

Despite Pace’s work building this roster, his legacy will forever be tied to how Trubisky pans out. While the results so far are inconclusive, the promise is there and the optimism is warranted going into Year 3.

Whether the Bears win a Super Bowl during this window remains to be seen. There are far too many things out of the team and Ryan Pace’s control that will dictate that. But Pace has done a phenomenal job of setting the team up for success. And that’s all you can ask of a GM.