Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace Will Be Defined By QB Decision
By Erik Lambert
Ready for a disappointing little fact? No Chicago Bears GM has drafted a quarterback and still been on the team for Super Bowl win in 51 years.
People will jump out saying that Jim Finks did it with Jim McMahon but that’s not entirely true. While it is true Finks drafted McMahon, he was no longer with the Bears when his quarterback helped lead them to a championship in 1985. Indeed the entire history of Chicago general managers in the modern era can be defined by their momentous decision at quarterback.
For most it was a 1st round pick. For one or two it was a trade or a big contract to a free agent. Nothing ultimately determines the outcome of a GMs fate more than whom he gets to occupy the most important position on the football field. Ryan Pace is facing a franchise history stacked against him. Here is the list of biggest quarterback moves by each GM.
- Jim Finks: Jim McMahon (1st round, 1982)
- Dick Tobin: Jim Harbaugh (1st round, 1987)
- Mark Hatley: Cade McNown (1st round, 1999)
- Jerry Angelo: Rex Grossman (1st round, 2003)
- Phil Emery: Jay Cutler (new contract, 2014)
The Bears franchise has not drafted a Hall of Fame quarterback since 1939. They haven’t drafted a Pro Bowler since McMahon in ’82. So for 34 years and counting they have failed to identify what constitutes even a good QB. Let alone a great one. It’s gotten to a point where fans are hoping to see salvation with every new face under center. The latest being journeyman Matt Barkley.
People are begging for Pace to end the cycle. Find somebody the team can build and rally around. Somebody who doesn’t need perfect conditions in order to win. A leader who everybody knows will find a way with two minutes left in the game. Is that really too much to ask after so many years of suffering on Sundays?
All people can do is what they did before. Trust that Pace knows what he’s doing. Based on whom he’s targeted in the draft and signed in free agency, he understands what to look for. He got plenty of lessons watching Drew Brees down in New Orleans. Will that experience help him? Yes, but it will take more. Much more. In the end it comes down to finding the talent, determining the mental makeup and hoping the coaching staff can get the best out of him.
A little dumb luck wouldn’t hurt either. Otherwise Pace will join a long line of previous GMs who lost their jobs because of a big whiff. That might explain why he’s chosen to take his time on the decision.