A lot of people are upset with Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace. They’ll use some sort of excuse for what, but mostly it’s because the team is losing.
So far in his tenure the team has compiled a 7-15 record. Not the kind of start any competitive human being would hope for. Fans are upset with Pace largely because his two 1st round picks have proven less than useful so far across two seasons. Kevin White has suffered two separate serious injuries to the same leg that will end up costing him almost two entire years. Leonard Floyd was drafted to help the pass rush and he has half a sack in six games.
This makes it easy to overlook a number of other additions he’s made who are excelling. Adrian Amos has settled it at safety. Cody Whitehair looks like a long-term answer at center. Jordan Howard can run the football. Cameron Meredith and Bryce Callahan look like keepers too. It’s so easy to forget how old and used up this roster was at the end of 2014. It’s never easy to execute a complete overhaul in this sport.
Don’t believe it? Ask some of the best GMs in NFL history. Here’s a look at what their records were after two years on the job.
Ted Thompson through first two seasons: 12-20
Ozzie Newsome through first two seasons: 10-21-1
John Schneider through first two seasons: 14-18
Bill Polian through first two seasons: 11-20
George Young through first two seasons: 10-22
Bill Walsh through first two seasons: 8-24
Keep in mind these are all men who are already in the Hall of Fame are more than likely soon will be whenever they decide to retire. It just goes to show that building a winner takes time and patience, something modern fans have lost touch with. Bears fans included. They may need a quick reminder that Jim Finks, considered the best general manager in modern team history, went 8-20 in his first two seasons. His team didn’t make the playoffs until his fourth year.
Instant gratification is nice but it’s also rare. More often than not teams need a few seasons to re-learn how to win. All the guys who knew how from a decade ago are gone. Finding replacements for them is priority one, but requires a lot of work and a little luck. Don’t let anybody say different. Pace has shown he can be good at this. If Cubs fans could trust Theo Epstein through four down years, then can Bears fans at least endure two with him?
It might be worth it. Sometimes it’s best to sit back and let the process play out a little longer.