2) 2019 free agent class
Key hits – KR Cordarrelle Patterson, CB Buster Skrine, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Key misses – RB Mike Davis
This class is just one year old so things may change rather quickly in the 2020 season. But as it stand now, the 2019 free agent group was rather solid. The Bears saw two key defenders leave in free agency with safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Bryce Callahan signing with the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, respectively.
To replace them, Pace signed cornerback Buster Skrine to a three-year deal and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a one-year deal. Skrine proved to be a valuable signing as Callahan ended up missing the entire season for Denver. Clinton-Dix, meanwhile, had a nice season for himself, even though he wasn’t the best fit next to his former college teammate, Eddie Jackson.
But the best signing was All-Pro kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson, who signed a two-year contract, revitalized the Bears return game. He averaged 29.5 yards per return, scored one touchdown, and became a valuable gunner for the special teams unit.
The only true miss during free agency was the signing of running back Mike Davis. The former Seahawk was supposed to be part of the “Run DMC” group that consisted of him, rookie running back David Montgomery and running back Tarik Cohen. But Davis was sparingly used and ultimately was released halfway through the year.
Again, this class may be viewed differently in 12 months, but for now it’s quietly one of Pace’s best group of signings.
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