Yes, you read that correctly. No, Ryan Pace did not land a new job at the local grocery store. Sorry to any ladies who were looking forward to seeing him bag their groceries. Instead, former Chicago Bears general manager, Ryan Pace is following a former colleague to the Atlanta Falcons.
Terry Fontenot was hired to be the Falcons general manager last season and it appears he is looking for help. Ryan Pace is being brought in as a senior personnel director. He will actually be working side-by-side with the general manager he replaced in 2015 — Phil Emery. Emery is also a senior personnel director working under Fontenot.
When Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy were fired, I figured Ryan Pace would be the first to land on his feet. I wasn’t confident either would be hired this offseason, but thought for sure Pace would find a new gig in 2023. Thanks to an old buddy in Fontenot, it did not take more than a couple of months for Pace to find work again.
Former Chicago Bears general manager, Ryan Pace is hired by the Falcons
Ryan Pace left the Chicago Bears in a bit of a conundrum. The team has some solid pieces, but many holes to fill. Wide receiver, cornerback, offensive line and linebacker jump out the most. This doesn’t mean the team doesn’t also need to find a 3-technique defensive lineman and also make a decision on what to do with Eddie Goldman. Is he a nose tackle in a 4-3 base defense or is he not worth the money and should be cut or traded?
The Chicago Bears’ new general manager, Ryan Poles has some money to work with this offseason. Right now, the team has roughly $26 million in cap space, but that will change as only the top-51 players count against the cap. The new regime will likely cut a few guys too, but as of right now, there are only about 28 roster-worthy players on this team.
The craziest, most out-of-the-box 2022 Chicago Bears mock draft
The Chicago Bears have plenty of work to do, but seeing a mock draft like this has me concerned that Bears fans want some crazy 2022 NFL Draft.
With Ryan Pace playing a secondary-type role in Atlanta, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for him to get another general manager opportunity. Is it possible he never finds himself in that position again? Most guys who get another shot had more success than Pace saw here in Chicago. His overall record is a losing one and the team only made the playoffs twice — never winning a playoff game — in seven years under his control.