Last year, Bears G.M. Ryan Pace tried to bolster Chicago’s offense in free agency, signing quarterback Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million contract, and wide receiver Markus Wheaton to a two-year, $11 million contract. Those signings turned out to be big mistakes, and Glennon and Wheaton won’t be with the Bears in 2018.
This year, Pace has again tried to bolster the Bears’ offense, agreeing to a three-year, $42 million contract with wide receiver Allen Robinson. If this move doesn’t work out, it may be Pace’s last chance to right the ship in free agency.
Although Pace signed a contract extension this offseason, the Bears have finished in last place in the NFC North four consecutive years. Even with a new contract, Pace is on the hot seat.
And so Pace is desperate to show that the other big move he made last year, trading up to the second overall pick in the draft to select quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, was a smart one. And the best way to help Trubisky flourish in his second season is to surround him with weapons on offense.
That’s what the signing of Robinson was all about. If it works out, Trubisky should improve in his second season, the Bears should improve as a season, and Pace should get a chance to continue the rebuilding project. If the Bears are a last-place team for a fifth consecutive year, they’ll likely be looking for a new G.M. a year from now.