Tag: Ryan Pace

Years after a blockbuster deal, the Bears sold laughably low on Khalil Mack

A disappointing outcome for a new era in Chicago.

Khalil Mack is a Raider. No, wait, scratch that. Khalil Mack is a Bear.

Ugh, I got it wrong again. (Spins wheel one more time.)

Khalil Mack is a Charger after the Bears traded him to Los Angeles on Thursday. Okay, we’re in the right place now. Let’s reset.

The NFL has always been a “What can you do for me lately?” league. You’re only as valuable to any team as you are in a given moment. What you’ve accomplished in the past means little if there’s not a lot of (perceived) tread left on the tires. From this respect, it’s not surprising the Bears’ Ryan Poles — a new GM with his own plan — traded a 31-year-old pass rusher. The days of Mack tearing apart quarterbacks and offensive game-plans, by himself anyway, are likely long gone. If you’re going to win with Justin Fields, you plan accordingly and offload people who probably won’t be around when (or if) you’re a contender once more.

What is surprising is the return the Bears received from the Chargers in exchange for Mack. It’s, how do I put this lightly, a little low for a player with some potential Pro Bowl/All-Pro ability left in his bones. Especially compared to what Chicago had to surrender to acquire Mack from the Raiders back in 2018.

A second and sixth-round pick while L.A. retains all of the salary (and Chicago still eats $24 million in dead cap space in 2022). Alright? Cool? I guess that’s fine?

Wait, so what did Las Vegas get when they traded Mack to the Bears again?

Raiders: 

  • 2019, 2020 first-round picks
  • A 2019 third-round pick and sixth-round pick

Bears:

  • Khalil Mack
  • A 2020 second-rounder (Cole Kmet)

I’m no mathematician, but the numbers don’t seem to add up. The Bears sold Mack’s services quite low. But, then again, I might have to wash my glasses.

To be fair to Poles, the Bears weren’t trading Mack from a position of strength. The former All-Pro edge rusher had surgery on his foot in November and has largely been playing hurt since the 2020 season. When the Raiders traded Mack, he was coming off his second First-Team All-Pro selection and had a reputation as a true game-breaker. Also, he was 27, not 31, which might as well be the difference between a millennial and a Baby Boomer in NFL years.

Even still, this is quite the step down in compensation for a new Bears regime. If this is what a potential championship contender like the Chargers offers Chicago for someone like Mack, I can’t imagine other proposed deals were much better. It’s more of an indictment of former GM Ryan Pace and, to a lesser extent, a bet on Mitchell Trubisky being The Guy. After all, if Trubisky worked out for the Bears, we’re probably not having this conversation about Mack being traded again in the first place.

Because you don’t trade Khalil Mack if you’re a contender. Not a chance. But you do if you’re the Raiders and Bears.

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Falcons hire Ryan Pace as senior personnel executive

The Atlanta Falcons named Ryan Pace, the former Chicago Bears general manager, as their new senior personnel executive on Friday.

The Atlanta Falcons and former personnel executive Steve Sabo mutually agreed to part ways a few weeks ago and on Friday, the team named former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace as Sabo’s replacement.

Pace spent 15 years in New Orleans where he worked alongside Terry Fontenot prior to taking over as the GM of the Bears in 2014.

The Bears fired Pace in January after posting a record of 48-65, with an 0-2 mark in the playoffs over seven seasons. He’s mostly remembered for trading up to draft Mitchell Trubisky over Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes back in 2017.

Regardless of his past mistakes, the Falcons are adding another experienced mind to the front office as they prepare for the 2022 offseason.

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Falcons hire former Bears GM Ryan Pace as senior personnel executive

It didn’t take former Bears GM Ryan Pace too long to land on his feet.

It didn’t take former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace too long to land on his feet.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Atlanta Falcons have hired Pace as a senior personnel executive. For his faults, Pace has been known for his ability to identify late-round talent in the NFL draft.

During Pace’s seven-year tenure as Chicago’s GM, the Bears went 48-67 and failed to win a playoff game in two appearances. While he was responsible for adding some great talent to the roster — Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, David Montgomery and Justin Fields among others — his mismanagement of the salary cap, early-round draft selections and the team’s overall struggles spelled his doom.

Meanwhile, the Bears cleaned house this offseason with the firings of both Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. They hired Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus to serve as the new GM and head coach, respectively, where the hope is they’ll be the right Ryan and Matt combination to get things right.

This isn’t the first time the Falcons have hired a former Bears GM to join their staff. Back in 2016, Atlanta hired former Chicago GM Phil Emery to serve as a national scout.

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Bears Wire Podcast: Ownership continues to be Chicago’s biggest problem

We discuss Pace and Nagy’s firings, the problem with ownership and the start of the Bears’ head coach and GM search.

It was a big week for the Chicago Bears after firing both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. The organization, frustrated with the lack of production, began their head coach and GM searches this week.

While the Bears have cast a pretty wide net of candidates on the head coach and GM side of things, fans are having a difficult time having hope that Chairman George McCaskey will get it right this time. Even with the help of Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian.

You have to give credit to McCaskey for making the decision to part ways with both Nagy and Pace, as many believed Pace could stick around for his third head coach hire. But that’s where the positivity ends.

McCaskey spent an entire hour on Monday telling fans he’s not a football evaluator and asking them to have hope that he’ll get it right. McCaskey will be joined by Polian, President Ted Phillips (why?), VP of Player Engagement Lamar ‘Soup’ Campbell and Senior VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tanesha Wade in his search.

But this entire week has been a reminder that, while Nagy and Pace were part of the problem, ownership remains the biggest issue with this franchise. And with this hiring process mirroring 2015 — substitute Polian for Ernie Accorsi — it’s a reminder that nothing has changed.

As the Bears prepare for an important offseason, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) are discussing Pace and Nagy’s firings, the problem with ownership and the start of the Bears’ head coach and GM search.

You can listen to this season’s final episode below:

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Jeff Ireland schedules interview for Bears general manager opening

Jeff Ireland schedules interview for Bears general manager opening

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Here we go: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the Chicago Bears will interview Jeff Ireland on Friday for their open general manager job. Ireland, the New Orleans Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director, has been a huge part of the team’s success in recent years.

But this wouldn’t happen if the Saints weren’t comfortable letting Ireland go. They could have reorganized their front office to give Ireland the G.M. title he wants, boosting Mickey Loomis to a higher executive status, but the team obviously envisions a future without Ireland guiding their draft process.

So who could they have in mind to replace him? Maybe Ryan Pace, the fired Bears general manager Ireland could be replacing, who got his start in New Orleans. Pace worked as a pro-level scout before being promoted to director of player personnel, making him Ireland’s predecessor in some respects. But that would be a step back given how well the Saints have been drafting lately, and how poorly Pace’s Bears run turned out.

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Why Ryan Pace failed as Bears GM

Why did Ryan Pace fail as the Bears GM? Where did it go wrong? We examine Pace’s failed tenure in Chicago.

Black Monday certainly lived up to the billing for the Chicago Bears. The team parted ways with head coach Matt Nagy, as expected, but threw a bit of a curveball when they also announced general manager Ryan Pace would be fired as well.

Pace had been the team’s GM since 2015 after spending years with the New Orleans Saints in their front office. Under Pace, the Bears compiled a record of 48-65 in the regular season and 0-2 in the postseason. They only finished above .500 once and consistently underperformed, particularly on offense, during his tenure.

Though there were pockets of success and some draft gems that were uncovered, Pace had some glaring misses and concerning tendencies that ultimately caught up with him. We could spend hours detailing every single move Pace made, but here are the main reasons why he failed as the team’s GM.

Bears request interview with Bills’ Joe Schoen for GM vacancy

The Bears requested to interview Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, who’s a trusted voice in Buffalo’s front office.

The Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace on Monday, which finds Chicago searching for their next GM.

Chairman George McCaskey, President/CEO Ted Phillips and Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian will be conducting the GM search for the Bears, where they’ve already started lining up interviews.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears have requested an interview with Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen for their GM vacancy.

Chicago has now inquired about three members of the Bills — Schoen, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Schoen currently serves as GM Brandon Beane’s assistant in Buffalo. Schoen got his start with the Carolina Panthers, where he interned and later served as a scouting assistant in 2001. He served as the Miami Dolphins assistant director of college scouting before being promoted to director of player personnel (2014-17). Schoen spent his first five years with Miami as one of the team’s national scouts.

The Bears have also requested interviews with Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown, Browns VP of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Browns VP of Player Personnel Glenn Cook.

Here’s a look at the complete list of head coach and GM candidates the Bears have requested to interview:

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Bears players react to Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace firings

Here’s what David Montgomery, Trevis Gipson and James Daniels had to say after Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace were fired by the Bears.

The Chicago Bears cleaned house Monday firing both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.

Nagy finished his Bears career with a 34-33 record, including both of Chicago’s playoff losses. During Pace’s seven-year tenure, the Bears went 48-67 and failed to win a playoff game in two appearances.

News of both firings broke before Chicago media met with some players before parting for the offseason, which allowed for some immediate reaction from some of the young core in place on the roster.

Here’s what running back David Montgomery, outside linebacker Trevis Gipson and offensive lineman James Daniels had to say following Nagy and Pace’s firings.

Bears request interview with Colts’ Ed Dodds for GM vacancy

The Bears are looking to interview Colts Assistant GM Ed Dodds, someone who’s been crucial in Indianapolis’ success.

The Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace on Monday, which finds Chicago searching for their next GM.

Chairman George McCaskey, President/CEO Ted Phillips and Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian will be conducting the GM search for the Bears, where they’ve already started lining up interviews.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears have requested an interview with Colts VP of Player Personnel and Assistant GM Ed Dodds, someone who’s been crucial in Indianapolis’ success.

Dodds is considered one of the NFL’s most respected talent evaluators, and he’s someone who could finally get an opportunity to serve as GM. Dodds has worked alongside Colts GM Chris Ballard since 2017, where he was promoted to assistant GM in 2018, and previously spent the previous 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, where he helped build their Super Bowl roster. Last year, Dodds received interest from the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers, interview for both vacant GM positions.

The Bears have also requested interviews with Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown, Browns VP of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Browns VP of Player Personnel Glenn Cook.

Here’s a look at the complete list of head coach and GM candidates the Bears have requested to interview:

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Bear Necessities: The Morning After…Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace firings and the mess that followed

Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their immediate reactions to Nagy and Pace’s firings, as well as the mess that ensued in the aftermath.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

The Chicago Bears cleaned house firing both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace on Monday, which leaves two gaping holes in the front office.

It was certainly an eventful day from start to finish, where Bears fans celebrated the effort for change (in firing Nagy and Pace) and then came back down to Earth after Chairman George McCaskey opened his mouth for the one and only time this year.

There was plenty to digest from Monday’s saga. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their immediate reactions to Nagy and Pace’s firings, as well as the mess that ensued in the aftermath.