Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace Has Taught Us One Key Lesson
By Erik Lambert
By now Chicago Bears fans should know something about GM Ryan Pace. If he’s taught us anything it’s to never look where he’s pointing.
That is to say it might not be the smartest thing to get caught up in the big names connected to the Bears via the media. This goes for everything from free agency to the draft. Remember Mitch Trubisky? Not a soul on the planet outside of Halas Hall and even some inside it had no idea the North Carolina quarterback was going to be their choice at #2 overall. The same was true for Leonard Floyd the year before. Pace has proven to be a man who values secrecy more than gold.
So here’s a question. Is it really wise to get too caught up in the popular names surrounding the Bears head coaching search? Sure each of them are qualified but they’re also public. Too public. Anybody remember how popular Deshaun Watson was during the pre-draft process? How Ryan Pace and his entourage went to see the Clemson star in person? Everybody was sold that he was the Bears pick.
Yeah, not so much. The point of this being is maybe it’s that time to slow down and think for second. Maybe, just maybe the big names they’ve interviewed thus far aren’t who their actual target is.
If it’s not the big names than who could Pace be eyeing?
Of course the question that arises from this bout of speculation is simple. If it’s not any of those obvious names, than who could Chicago be seeking in secret? If we knew the answer than of course it wouldn’t be a secret. Adding theories to the mix it is curious that no information yet has come out about the Bears exploring the college ranks for potential suitors. There are plenty of big names who might be worth going after be it Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Dabo Swinney and others.
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Still there are other notable NFL assistants curiously left out of their interview string to this point. The Rams, who have the #1 offense in the NFL, have an offensive coordinator in Matt Lafleur who might deserve some attention. The same goes for Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash who turned Jacksonville into a juggernaut this year. It’s one curiosity after another, and that leads to suspicion when a guy like Pace is involved.