Chicago Bears: 5 things we know after first wave of free agency

5. Ryan Pace is a man of high integrity.

I hate to remind you all of this, but remember when just a few short months ago, Mike Glennon was given a 3-year, $45 million contract by Pace? Of course you do.

Thankfully, that turned into just a one-year blunder in which Glennon walked away with $18.5 million after making four starts. Pace announced at the NFL Combine that the Bears would be moving on, and that’s exactly what they did.

In the same offseason, Pace signed receiver Markus Wheaton and cornerback Marcus Cooper to a pair of deals that made it apparent they were going to play major roles. Once again, Pace cut ties with two more mistakes this week as he terminated the contracts of both Wheaton and Cooper.

Here’s the deal: Pace has finally been given the reigns. Ted Phillips has seemingly taken a step back and given his general manager the power to make moves in order to get his guys. What is one of the first things he does? He goes out and assembles a young, modern coaching staff.

What’s one of the next things he does? He admits to multiple mistakes made in the same offseason. A lot of general managers might have held onto one or two of those guys simply because of their ego — that’s not Pace.

The Bears have a leader who admits when he is wrong, and that’s inspiring not only to fans but to the organization as a whole.