The Ups and Downs of General Manager Ryan Pace

CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 10: General manager Ryan Pace of the Chicago Bears is seen on the sidelines before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 10: General manager Ryan Pace of the Chicago Bears is seen on the sidelines before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 18: Pernell McPhee
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 18: Pernell McPhee /

If you asked any Bears’ fan who the worst free agent the Bears have signed over the last three years is, you might hear the name “Pernell McPhee” mentioned more than any other. For the money the Bears paid him, they have not gotten the return on their investment that everyone would have liked to have seen.

McPhee was supposed to be the cornerstone of the Bears’ new 3-4 defense and they gave him big money to be a star. Since coming to the Bears, McPhee has played in just 36 games (out of a possible 48) and has started just 16 of those games. That’s not a very good return on your investment. And McPhee has missed parts of other games but most importantly, has not been nearly as effective as he was supposed to be.

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Call it a swing and a miss for Pace. There have been a few other free agents that haven’t done that well in Chicago. Safety Antrel Rolle was hurt early on and didn’t contribute much. He was gone after the first year of this three-year deal. Eddie Royal was thought to be a great go-to slot receiver but he spent more time injured than he did on the field. Vladimir Ducasse wasn’t a great pickup either. Then you had the whole Ray McDonald fiasco. The Bears should have never signed him knowing what he was going through.

Every general manager has his bad free agent signings. There are some that they would like to forget. The above are just a few of the ones that Pace will probably not want to hear about again. But he has had some good ones so it hasn’t been all bad.