Chicago Bears: 3 mistakes Pace must avoid as free agency begins

Resist the temptation to sign Ebron

Despite a report that the Bears are comfortable with Trey Burton as their primary tight end next season, it’s hard to imagine them not taking a shot at upgrading the position, considering how little they got out of it last year.

If they do decide to address it free agency, one player they must stay away from is Eric Ebron, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions. Ebron’s time in Detroit was a disappointment as he was plagued by dropped passes. He had, by far, the best year of his career in Indianapolis playing with Andrew Luck. However, immediately following this season, general manager Chris Ballard made it clear the Colts were not going to bring him back.

As I’ve previously written, that should have been a giant red flag. That makes two teams who, despite his talent, have clearly wanted to move on from the former North Carolina product.

Where the Bears could fall into the trap of overpaying for him is in his relationship with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, also a former Tar Heel. For an organization that has bent over backward to support Mitch, they could be enticed to address a team need with someone Mitch is familiar and comfortable with. However, overpaying for a tight end (who will be looking for a big payday) with legitimate question marks, is not the approach Pace should take.

Bottom Line

The Bears have to address a number of critical needs this offseason and will do so when the new league year kicks off. However, sometimes it’s the moves you don’t make or the mistakes that you avoid that ultimately become the best decisions of the offseason.