Chicago Bears: Possible Early Ryan Pace Replacement Ideas
By Erik Lambert
Be honest. Be honest now. Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace is not safe. This isn’t because he’s done a bad job reloading the roster. It’s all about perception.
Everybody knows Pace inherited a dumpster fire in 2015. It was an old team with zero players who could be considered part of a young core to build around. He was facing a monumental rebuilding effort. At the same time knowledge of this issue didn’t decrease expectations. Even as the team started turning over, some believe progress however small should’ve been noticed by now. It’s Year 3 after all. Typically this is the time when a team starts to show up.
Instead the Bears went from 6-10 to 3-13 and are now 0-2 to start the 2017 season. With Pittsburgh, Green Bay and Minnesota looming it feels like things could get out of control in a hurry. To say nothing of their ongoing injury problems. Head coach John Fox is bearing the brunt of the criticism right now but how long before the stacking losses start to turn the cross-hairs on Pace?
Perhaps this is a good time to at least get acquainted with some possible names who could relieve him of duty in 2018.
Scott Pioli (Assistant general manager, Atlanta Falcons)
It’s amazing to think that Pioli has been a top-level personnel director or general manager since 1996. He’s been at this game for 21 years and is still only 52-years old. That’s a testament to how good the man is at the job of identifying talented football players. His run really got going in 2001 when the Patriots made him their director of player personnel. Together with Bill Belichick they built a dynasty roster that featured stars like Richard Seymour, Matt Light, Asante Samuel, Vince Wilfork, and Logan Mankins.
He claimed three Super Bowl rings from that work and used it to become general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009. All told his run there wasn’t a success, but it wasn’t necessarily because he failed to build a strong roster. Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Rodney Hudson and Dontari Poe were all acquired on his watch. After being fired he signed on with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014.
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Almost immediately they started to have success at rebuilding their roster around QB Matt Ryan. Jake Matthews and Devonta Freeman arrived that year. Vic Beasley joined the defense the next year and then came Deion Jones the year after that. Suddenly they’re the team to beat in the NFC and Pioli had a big hand in that. His proven success and experience are huge pluses. The big question is would he be able to get the head coach hire right.