Who has done the most to run this beloved franchise into the ground? Answer : ryan pace
Let us examine his track record. First hire Mark trestman. CFL offensive guru with no NFL head coaching experience. Came in had a crappy winning percentage and was gone in 2 years. Strike one. Next he brings in the antithesis of trestman john fox. A defensive minded coach who has coached in few super bowls. He has an worse winning percentage than trestman and only last 3 seasons. Some of you will say that he did not have a say in those hirings and were actually sweaty teddy's hires. if that is true, why did he not have the backbone to say to his owners this is the wrong direction we are going in?and if it false then the blame falls squarely on his shoulders. Either way Strike two.
Then He goes out and spends 18 million, on the worst FA signing of the year (per espn.com). What did he get for 18 Million dollars: Four TD's, 5 interceptions, 3 fumbles, and 4 losses. What a stellar return. Strike three.
Now let us look at his Drafts. For as bad as the Bears were you'd think that should result in high Draft picks that can be used to rebuild the franchise. Well the results speak for themselves. With all the top ten picks he has had, have resulted in the Bears winning 5 games last season. With his highest Draft pick he mortgaged the Bears future, and bid against himself for a one year wonder who had all of 13 collegiate starts, and most likely to be available at his original pick. A rookie GM bamboozled him into this stupidity and made him look like a fool. Even I, being just a meatball fan, would have avoided this costly mistake. If nothing else we are left to wonder what could have been, if he used his pick on Deshaun Watson. Strike four.
Now don't get me wrong. Mitch could morph into next Tom Brady and I would be ecstatic, however that doesn't seem very likely. I hope for our sake that I am completely wrong. What I am trying to say is Pace has systematically ruined our beloved Franchise for the last 5 years, Why he still has a job I do not know. Unless he has compromising pictures of Sweaty or Virginia he should have been fired with Fox.
Having said all that. I do like the Nagy hire, and the subsequent coaching hires. But what do I know, I liked the trestman hire and the fox hire.
Maybe, just maybe, he has been giving Sweaty Teddy just enough rope to hang himself, to the point where he can say we have tried his way now let us try mine. I hope against hope that this is the case, and if it is I will gladly munch on a large helping of crow.
bamainatlantaYou wake him up, you keep him up