Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace before the game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Photo Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Balancing the long-term approach with a coaching staff desperately in need of a quick victory infusion is the task facing Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace.
After a 3-13 season, it isn’t easy.
‘We’re looking to set this thing up for long-term success,” Pace said at the NFL Combine on Wednesday. “You’ve got to be careful not for these quick fixes that sometimes won’t work out.
“You pay an older player a lot of money, sometimes that doesn’t work. We’ve got to be conscious of that, but I also think there’s value to sprinkle in some vets with our young team, and there’s value with that, too. There’s kind of a mixture. ”
The right mixture could still involve wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, although it’s unlikely to include quarterback Jay Cutler.
The Bears have about $62 million available in cap space for free agency, but wanted no part of a second straight franchise tag for Jeffery.
“Us tagging him two years in a row really wasn’t an option for us,” Pace said. “We’ll see how it plays out right now.”
Pace is keeping communication lines open with Jeffery’s agent, Tory Dandy. But it seems likely Jeffery will hit the market. Then, they can only hope they get a chance to match an offer.
When available, Jeffery’s production is unquestionable. It’s the numerous soft tissue injuries and last year’s four-week suspension for a banned substance violation that complicate matters.
“It was thought out thoroughly, obviously,” Pace said. “I think sometimes when you can’t come to a common ground with a player and an agent, sometimes it’s necessary to kind of test the market to determine that player’s value, and that’s really where we’re at.
“He’s a good player and we’ll see how it plays out. But I think there are certain instances where testing the market is a necessary part of the process.”
Considering wide receiver Kevin White played only four games in two seasons due to injuries, tight end Zach Miller is coming off a season-ending foot injury, and the rest of the receiver corps is comprised of castoffs and undrafted players, it looks like a gamble.
They view Jeffery like they do any free agent, and believe the market sets free agent values.
“It’s like walking into a store right now at this time of year and there’s no price tags,” coach John Fox said. “We kind of develop that moving forward.”
Even after just nine wins in two seasons for this coaching staff, the Bears won’t throw money at potential problems largely because there are always other options.
“I think you can always recover from the player you didn’t sign; you can’t recover from the player that you signed at the wrong price,” Pace said. “I think we’ve got to be conscious of that.”
It’s always the approach by Pace in free agency because he’d rather build through the draft even when his head coach is in the third year of a four-year deal.
“Free agency is dangerous,” Pace said. “You’re stepping through land mines, and you’ve got to be careful you don’t step on the wrong one.”
The Bears know all about signing players at the wrong price.
They’re likely to get rid of quarterback Cutler now after overvaluing him under former general manager Phil Emery. Pace isn’t announcing anything on Cutler’s apparent departure at this time as the team explores potential trades. But Pace called it a “fluid” situation.
“At this point we pretty much have everything on the table,” Pace said. “For us, to do it the responsible way, that’s necessary.”
Complicating the situation from a market standpoint is Cutler hasn’t yet been cleared to resume work after rehabbing from a season-ending shoulder injury.
When they actually do pursue a quarterback for the future, the options seem to have dwindled with the New England Patriots’ reported decision not to trade Jimmy Garoppolo and the Washington Redskins’ tagging of Kirk Cousins.
“There are a lot of different options and honestly I just have to be flexible because there are some unpredictable things that can happen along the way and we’ve kind of gone over every situation and that’s where we’re at,” Pace said.
Drafting and developing a quarterback takes time, as Fox pointed out.
It’s questionable whether the Bears could find quarterback talent suitable for their third pick of the draft.
Then again, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson would likely be available, and after winning a national title, he does fit one parameter Pace uses for assessing the position.
Pace values quarterbacks who have elevated their team, and he cited a quarterback he had extensive experience with in New Orleans — Drew Brees.
“He took them to the Rose Bowl,” Pace said of Brees. “I think that means something. I think that’s something that we have to pay attention to.”
The quarterback solution could impact on who they can sign in free agency at wide receiver if Jeffery leaves, because free agents are going to wonder who is throwing them the football.
“If I’m a free agent, there’s some questions I’d want to know,” Pace said. “But with a lot of these things, it just comes down to the contract.”
It’s always about the money.
–Guard Kyle Long is through with surgeries for this offseason. He won’t have left shoulder labrum surgery and will devote his rehab time to recovering from the bad ankle injury he had that required surgery.
“It was determined that the best course of action wasn’t a surgery and really, for us, that’s good,” Pace said.
There is no time table set on Long’s recovery, yet, but the Bears expect him back for next season. There is no talk about needing another guard. In fact, the interior of the line is one spot Pace doesn’t need to address.
“It’s set to be one of the best interior groups in the league,” Pace said.
–One free agent the Bears apparently do want to retain is backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, who did not throw an interception in 200 attempts.
Hoyer had a broken arm but had healed by season’s end.
“I thought he played solid,” Pace said. “He’s part of the big equation that we have right now.”
–It’s certainly been said before, but wide receiver Kevin White appears ahead of schedule on his rehab.
White’s second broken leg healed and the 2015 first-round draft pick hopes to start gaining more experience in his third year.
“I still have a lot of confidence in him,” Pace said. “He has a lot of confidence in himself. We’re getting daily reports on his progress. I just want to see steady, consistent progress from him.
“Right now he’s getting his body all in alignment, and he’s feeling good.”
–While the Bears maintained their coordinators, more than a tweak or two has made to the remainder of coaching staff. Considering it’s the third year for head coach John Fox on a four-year deal, the alterations are substantial and possibly risky.
Gone are offensive line coach Dave Magazu, running backs coach Stan Drayton, wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson, outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt assistant defensive backs coach Sam Garnes and assistant special teams coach Richard Hightower.
Jeremiah Washburn (offensive line), Curtis Modkins (running backs), Zach Azzanni (wide receivers), Brandon Staley (outside linebackers), Roy Anderson (assistant defensive backs) and Derius Swinton II (special teams assistant) are the replacements.
Firing Magazu was a drastic move since he had been with Fox teams since 2003 in Carolina. Garnes also was a longtime Fox assistant and was fired.
Losing Drayton was significant because he helped bring along running back Jordan Howard from rookie fifth-rounder to the league’s second-leading rusher. Drayton left after getting a college job with Texas.
Most hirings included coaches with extensive NFL experience. Washburn was an assistant line coach for Miami last year under head coach Adam Gase, the former Bears offensive coordinator. He has 18 years of NFL experience.
Three hirings were with the 49ers last year, including Swinton. Last year Swinton was special teams coordinator for the 49ers, and he was on Fox’s first Bears staff in 2015. He also coached for Fox in 2013-14 in Denver.
Modkins and Anderson also spent last season with the 49ers. Modkins has nine years of NFL experience and Anderson eight.
Azzanni and Staley have no previous NFL coaching experience. Staley coached in college for 11 years. Azzanni coached in college for 18 years, including the last four with Tennessee.
