Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace is the man with the power
If the Chicago Bears off-seas has proved anything , it’s that general manager Ryan Pace has the power over the team’s football operations.
Ever since the Chicago Bears paired veteran head coach John Fox with rookie general manager Ryan Pace two years ago, there were questions over who had control over the Bears’ football department.
The theory had been that while Pace was the general manager of the team, it was Fox who had full control over the Bears’ football operations.
Though, after the 2017 NFL Draft, it should be clear that Pace is the man with the power in the Bears’ front office department.
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Look no further than the Bears’ selection in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Pace orchestrated a trade that saw the Bears give up three selections in order to move up to the No. 2 overall selection spot in the draft and select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The move spoke more about the long-term direction of the Bears as opposed to their short-term. In other words, Trubisky does not help a head coach in Fox that needs to have competitive season in order to save his job.
After Trubisky, the Bears selected a Division II tight end by the name of Adam Sheehan in the second round and Alabama safety Eddie Jackson in the fourth round. Sheehan is very much a developmental tight end as he will be making the large jump from Division II college football to the National Football League. Jackson, meanwhile, is recovering from an injury. Both Sheehan and Jackson have tremendous upside in the long-term but their short-term value may be minimal.
Fourth round selection Tarik Cohen will have value as a change of pace running back but it will be minimal as he will be playing behind Jordan Howard and Jeremy Langford.
In the fifth round, the Bears selected offensive lineman Jordan Morgan. Morgan is considered to be extremely raw and may need a season or two for development.
The Bears’ draft speaks to the notion that Pace is safe no matter the outcome of the 2017 season. If Pace’s job were in jeopardy, there is no doubt that the Bears’ general manager would have looked for instant impact in the draft as opposed to long-term value.
Next: High Praise for Ryan Pace
With Ryan Pace’s job looking pretty secure, that may not bode well for head coach John Fox. The 2017 season could very well be Fox’s last season as the head coach of the Bears.