Why Ryan Pace Shouldn’t Be Judged Solely By the Trubisky Pick
Let’s just get this out of the way. Ryan Pace messed up. He had a chance to finally end the Chicago Bears’ ongoing curse at quarterback in 2017 and he blew it. He had his choice of three notable quarterbacks and somehow managed to pick the wrong one in Mitch Trubisky. While he continues to flounder, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson thrive. Seeing this unfold before the eyes, it’s hard for a lot of Bears fans to forgive him. Pace gave up four picks including the #2 overall for Trubisky.
He blew it.
That is a major stain on his reputation. To say nothing of his other 1st round misfires like Kevin White and to a lesser extent Leonard Floyd. Some believe this is enough to warrant Pace losing his job. Why should the team trust him to get the quarterback position right after missing so spectacularly? It’s a fair point, but also a dangerous way of thinking. This will be an attempt to explain that in spite of his missteps, he’s still a good GM and one deserving of another shot.
Ryan Pace continues to prove he can draft well
Most of the focus has remained on Trubisky. That’s no surprise. However, amidst the headaches he and Floyd are causing, plenty of other Pace draft picks have begun to assert themselves in recent weeks. Top 2019 pick David Montgomery delivered his best game of the year against the Chargers with 135 rushing yards and a touchdown. Anthony Miller has 12 catches for 183 yards in the past three games.
Roquan Smith was all over the field last week, making seven tackles in just 40 total snaps. Even Bilal Nichols, on his first game back from injury against the Saints had a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit. This is proof enough that they haven’t suddenly stopped being good players.
The same goes for Pace’s free agent moves. Allen Robinson is a star at wide receiver, on track for over 1,000 yards this season. Cordarrelle Patterson is averaging a ridiculous 32.1 yards per kick return with a touchdown. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has two interceptions including a pick-six. Buster Skrine has filled the slot corner job very well. Taylor Gabriel had a great game in Washington and has been open a lot.
It’s not like Pace is making nothing but wrong decisions.
This is still a good football team with a lot of talent on the roster. The problem is so much of it is overshadowed by two of his three biggest draft picks. As anybody knows, missing on a quarterback can set an organization back years. This is often why a lot of GMs lose their jobs. Does Pace warrant the same treatment? No. He’s proven he can run an organization well and find talented players.
The question is whether he can deliver on another attempt at quarterback. History does show this is not impossible. Jim Finks, the best in Bears history, missed horrifically at QB when he traded a 1st round pick for Mike Phipps back in 1978. Undeterred he awaited his next opportunity and it came in 1982 when he secured Jim McMahon. That worked out pretty well.
Pace has done enough to deserve that same courtesy.