Where Ryan Pace Has Failed the Bears Besides QB
The strong tendency is to look at Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, label quarterback as Ryan Pace's great failure with the Bears and move on to criticizing Matt Nagy.
Of course the Bears don't have a legitimate playoff quarterback. When they haven't had a 4,000-yard passer in their history and there were 12 in the league last season alone, it's a bit of a problem position.
It doesn't take a football genius to determine Pace hasn't solved the quarterback issue in any way shape or form, with all do respect to Ted Phillips.
If the trend indicated a shift back to passing from 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage and using an oversized pig bladder for a football like in the 1920s, they'd be in excellent shape.
It isn't, so they're not.
Pace has failed the Bears in other ways, though, and needs this to change in the draft if they're to continue assembling a team capable of beating teams like Green Bay or New Orleans.
Here's how else Pace has shorted the Bears and where they need to start making additions:
Lack of speed, particularly at receiver
The idea for Matt Nagy was modeling this team after his old team. The Kansas City Chiefs have three wide receivers—Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman—who can run in the 4.3s or faster in the 40-yard dash. Their offensive system naturally can cause defenses to bunch up closer to the line of scrimmage because it attacks horizonitally. With three receivers who can run 4.3 in the 40, the Chiefs are able to ensure defenses play them honestly and don't bunch up. No one wants to risk one of these super burners beating them deep. This opens up the field for the passing game. Tight end Travis Kelce benefits immensely with the field stretched. It's how he comes up with 100 catches in a season from the tight end position. It also makes their running game work better. RPO runs are difficult to block in the NFL, where blockers can go only a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before being penalized for blocking on a pass play. So having the defense not bunched up creates more space for the blockers and room for backs on the RPO runs. This is why the Chiefs offense looks nothing like the Bears offense—that and a minor character named Patrick Mahomes.
The Bears just got their first sub-4.4 receiver this year with Darnell Mooney, but haven't really explored his potential successfully as a deep target. Instead they threw to Javon Wims and watched it fall through his hands in the playoffs. Defenses have respected Mooney's speed by playing over the top on him and leaving underneath routes more open. So he's had to rely on his quickness and route running. Meanwhile, the Bears have Allen Robinson (4.6 seconds in the 40), Riley Ridley (4.59), Javon Wims (4.53) and Anthony Miller (4.52) and they're trying to run Kansas City's style of passing game without anything close to Kansas City's speed. The tight ends can't get open because the field is bunched up, since the secondary doesn't respect anyone's speed but Mooney's.
The Bears do have Cordarrelle Patterson (4.42) and Tarik Cohen (4.42) but Patterson's 40 time came about a decade ago, and when was the last time he ever ran a good pass route downfield or otherwise? As for Cohen, no one can be certain what they'll have from him next year after an ACL tear at the end of September. It took Robinson a year and then about 13 weeks of a season before he started to look like his old self after his ACL tear.
So yes, the Bears need speed drastically at receiver, and not 4.5-second speed.
They also need it in their slot cornerback position because the concussion history of Buster Skrine says they'll need someone else to play there next season. Duke Shelley really impressed no one doing it with his 118 passer rating against and 80% completions allowed when targeted this season replacing Skrine.
A legitimate strong safety
Pace stopped drafting safeties after he took Eddie Jackson in 2017. They could do this if they decided to pay Adrian Amos, but they didn't. The other safeties drafted in prior years, Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson, are fine for spot play and special teams but lack the overall instinct and physical ability of starters so the Bears have plugged in veteran free agents on one-year deals the last two years at the other spot.
While Tashaun Gipson played hard, he didn't play especially effective football. Too often Jackson hasn't been in position to make interceptions, as he's had to take on more responsibility than a ball-hawking safety should.
So the Bears need a smart, physical safety with speed, like Amost was.
Another all-purpose running back
David Montgomery works better with more carries, but no one6works too well when overworked. In two seasons, Montgomery has 568 touches. This is a lot considering Nagy's offensive idea is a backs-by-committee approach.
Unless they want Montgomery to be one of those backs who suddenly is ineffective at age 25 or 26, they better get someone who can both run and receive as well as block. Cohen is only a third-down back. Cordarrelle Patterson is a return man who occasionally takes a handoff. No one knows what Artavis Pierce is. Unfortunately they know what Ryan Nall is.
They don't have an adequate backup to Montgomery, like the Packers have their three-headed monster or the Rams do, as well, or even like the Saints do with Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray.
More Muscle
Pace has never drafted a starting tackle or even a suitable backup. Phil Emery selected Charles Leno Jr. in Round 7. Bobby Massie was a free agent.
A team that likes to think it can develop offensive linemen has never even done this at tackle. Apparently they've done it at center with Bobby Massie and definitely at guard.
Tackle is like a quarterback and a cornerback. You need to draft them even in years when the need doesn't seem great.
Another Kwiatkoski
The Bears continue to play without a third inside linebacker. Neither Josh Woods nor Joel Iyiegbuniwe stepped up. They had to start scrap heap pickup Manti Te'o in the playoffs. They've had three season-ending injuries to linebackers in the last two years and no longer have Nick Kwiatkoski, so they need a legitimate backup inside linebacker.
Jimmy Graham's replacement
Cole Kmet wasn't Jimmy Graham's replacement. He was their first legitimate tight end. They need another player to man the U-tight end position in this offense. Graham might even be gone this year for cap purposes. Who would play there, Jesper Horsted
Conclusion
Ted Phillips seemed to think they have everything else besides a quarterback.
They do, with the exception possibly of about a dozen or so pieces.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
