Probably the worst article Rosenbloom has ever written

[wab]

Barf.

Steve Rosenbloom
Chicago Tribune

Good news: Ryan Pace has a lot of money for free agency.

Bad news: Ryan Pace has a lot of money for free agency.

Be afraid, kids. Be very afraid.

This week, the Bears GM dumped linebacker Pernell McPhee and safety Quintin Demps, both former Pace free agents. Earlier this year, the Bears GM let go linebacker Jerrell Freeman and guard Josh Sitton, also former Pace free agents.

It’s great to say that the worst thing a team can do is let a mistake continue, but we’re talking about so many mistakes, and that’s not even counting the possibility of adding Pace’s contract extension to that list.

Sometime later this month the Bears will cut the biggest joke of Pace’s free-agent monologue, Mike Glennon, and soon, Pace will have an estimated $80 million to spend in free agency, according to spotrac.com, the third-highest figure in the NFL. That, of course, will be followed by the fear of Pace’s continued bad judgment and a willingness to bid against himself to overpay for someone else’s curbside pickup.

Like Mike McDermott said to open “Rounders:’’ “Listen, here’s the thing: If you can't spot the sucker in your first half-hour at the table, then you are the sucker.’’

Pace talks like the guy who doesn’t want to be the sucker at the free-agent table, saying the draft is a better way to build a team than free agency, and then he gives aging Alan Ball a contract.

What Pace ought to do is this: Not sign a player over 25.

Pace got a do-over in his fourth year, hiring his second coach, but nobody except Jordan Howard is talking playoffs for a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs the last seven years, and this will make eight, and this also might make the fifth straight last-place finish and likely a fifth straight season of 10 or more losses.

If the Bears aren’t going to care about ending this death spiral quickly – and by all appearances, they don’t, starting with a rookie head coach and second-year quarterback – then act like the expansion team they’ve devolved into and play it smartly by erring on the side of youth. Pace still might make a ton of player evaluation mistakes – that’s the way to bet – but at least he would avoiding the veteran band-aid that is for contenders, not this feeble bunch.

The draft is still the way to go. Pace ought to trade whatever he can for more draft picks because the future is the only hope, even if it could be Pace’s successor benefiting from that future.

And again, to repeat myself because Pace repeats so many mistakes, don’t sign a free agent over 25.

The Bears don’t need veterans. They need hope. Veterans don’t bring hope. Youth brings hope. Veterans take up space and money. Pace’s veterans, anyway. But perhaps more importantly, veterans take up snaps that otherwise should go to a player who might become something if this once-proud franchise ever rises again.

I have no idea whether this could be pulled off. But I also have no idea what Pace’s previous free-agent plans were, and I don’t think I’m alone. And so, I don’t know how my idea could be worse.

If this had been the rule when Pace arrived, there would’ve been no Kendall Wright becoming the No. 1 receiver for a lousy team, for instance, but blessedly also no Markus Wheaton.

There would’ve been no Prince Amukamara at cornerback for a bad team, for another example, but blessedly also no Marcus Cooper.

There would’ve been no Akiem Hicks in adhering to this approach, but you’d take that tradeoff if you also didn’t have to suffer through Ball, Antrel Rolle and Eddie Royal.

What’s to lose after all of this losing? Pace’s record, remember, is 14-34. That wasn’t just the fired John Fox’s record. That is Pace’s scarlet number, too. He’s obligated to try something different after getting lucky to go on a second honeymoon paid for by executive geniuses George McCaskey and Ted Phillips. Because, listen, here’s the thing: If you’re the same guy after three bad years and one head coach firing, then you are the sucker.

[UOK]

Rosenbloom's bit is so tired. He shits on everything, kicks the reader in the balls for being stupid enough to be a Bears fan, and his style has this mocking, laughing tone to it that is designed to irritate and insult the reader.

Strangely enough I enjoy him on Wake & Bake Saturday mornings on the Score, but his writing is absolutely insufferable.

[G08]

Strangely enough I enjoy him on Wake & Bake Saturday mornings on the Score, but his writing is absolutely insufferable.

Ha, I was just going to write the same thing. I enjoy his shtick on the radio... but in writing? Not so much.

[Mikefive]

I'm going to split some hairs here. I think his writing is pretty good. It's his tone and message that are insufferable. But that's just our point of view. I imagine that his employer thinks his column--including this item--garners eyeballs and thus is pretty good.

Not that I would go out of my way to read it. It's just a steaming pile of negative. And consistently so.

[Boris13c]

Rosenbloom seems intent on filling the negativity spewing assclown position left vacant when Jay Mariotti left the Sun Times in a hissy fit

and I completely disagree with his opinion on this particular subject ... I think Pace fully understands what he can and can't do with free agency, and will team up with Nagy to come up with a decent plan on what they should do to augment the roster

Pace isn't perfect ... he might still make an error or 2 in judgement ... but I'm expecting better and more positive things to come

[UOK]

Rosenbloom seems intent on filling the negativity spewing assclown position left vacant when Jay Mariotti left the Sun Times in a hissy fit

and I completely disagree with his opinion on this particular subject ... I think Pace fully understands what he can and can't do with free agency, and will team up with Nagy to come up with a decent plan on what they should do to augment the roster

Pace isn't perfect ... he might still make an error or 2 in judgement ... but I'm expecting better and more positive things to come

I'd understand having the negative editorials if the body of the Chicago sports press was drunkenly optimistic and/or the teams were good and hyped to pieces, but outside of the Cubs, the rest of Chicago sports is in a rebuild, and all of the surrounding press has been anything BUT optimistic. At best the beat writers of the Bears are level-headed, jaded-to-indifferent at worst. Rosenbloom's snark is unnecessary.

[BabyBear]

His article is pretty much spot on. As someone whose own assessments on the Bears are usually spot on, both here and in podcast land, I approve this article.

[southdakbearfan]

Hack job journalism basically.

[wab]

His article is pretty much spot on. As someone whose own assessments on the Bears are usually spot on, both here and in podcast land, I approve this article.

I assume your podcast is just the sound of you pounding your fists on a desk and screaming "DAMN YOU PACE!"

[jasfirstroundbust]

Did a guy named pace kill his brother or something?

[Richie]

Soooooo edgy Rosey... Watch out for this guy! He's not afraid to tell it like it is!

Bleck

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Rosenbloom just comes across as bitter and angry. There is no accounting for pasty GM mistakes spilling into Pace's tenure, or the solid job he has done at drafting. By all accounts Pace has knocked his first real coaching hire, squarely out of the park. Rosenbloom just has a shitty attitude.

[IotaNet]

Rosenbloom just comes across as bitter and angry. There is no accounting for pasty GM mistakes spilling into Pace's tenure, or the solid job he has done at drafting. By all accounts Pace has knocked his first real coaching hire, squarely out of the park. Rosenbloom just has a shitty attitude.

I haven't lived in Chicago for about 14 years so I don't read the Trib on a daily basis. I do read his column online from time to time and from what I see of Rosenbloom, he comes off as Jay Mariotti 2.0.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Rosenbloom just comes across as bitter and angry. There is no accounting for pasty GM mistakes spilling into Pace's tenure, or the solid job he has done at drafting. By all accounts Pace has knocked his first real coaching hire, squarely out of the park. Rosenbloom just has a shitty attitude.

I haven't lived in Chicago for about 14 years so I don't read the Trib on a daily basis. I do read his column online from time to time and from what I see of Rosenbloom, he comes off as Jay Mariotti 2.0.

Pretty much.

[docc]

Wanna be Skip Bayless without a brother who cooks..

[46Blitz]

Every team has hits and misses in Free agency. Especially if there are no/little slam dunk players available. The thing is, Pace may have taken some shots at some stopgap vets while he builds through the draft. But I don't see this as a problem. In fact, I think it's a pretty effective way to do it. Majority of his signings did not hurt the team long term at all. The Bears would not have 80m to burn if that wasn't the case. All of those contracts gave the ability to walk away from within a season or two, setting the team to be in this position.

I may or may not be in the minority here, but think overall the draft picks have been solid for the most part. Sure there are some misses, but feel the hits so far outweighs the misses so far. This draft should be telling.

Just don't understand articles like this. The Bears are in the middle of a long rebuilding process that Pace more or less suggested when hired. The team was in so much trouble before him. It was a team that was old and lacked talent in many positions. In this world everyone wants instant gratification without a process. They want instant result.

In defense of Pace, how many of you been upset to see the team with:

Young potential Franchise QB
Young tandem RBs with a plethora of skill sets
Young improving defense on the rise
Early draft pick
80m in cap room

Sure there is serious need at WR, need for a OL or two and maybe a few DBs. But this is early in the offseason and several of those will be filled. One or two moves could greatly change the dynamics of this picture. But I happen to like where the team sits.

Speaking of the WR problem, letting Jeffery go was a mistake IMO. But going into the season you loose Merrideth and White to injury. It was kinda the perfect storm of suck. Blame Pace for Jeffery, but injuries can take a serious blow on a team.

Anyway, maybe I'm just optimistic. But whatever. Lol

[IotaNet]

Every team has hits and misses in Free agency. Especially if there are no/little slam dunk players available. The thing is, Pace may have taken some shots at some stopgap vets while he builds through the draft. But I don't see this as a problem. In fact, I think it's a pretty effective way to do it. Majority of his signings did not hurt the team long term at all. The Bears would not have 80m to burn if that wasn't the case. All of those contracts gave the ability to walk away from within a season or two, setting the team to be in this position.

I may or may not be in the minority here, but think overall the draft picks have been solid for the most part. Sure there are some misses, but feel the hits so far outweighs the misses so far. This draft should be telling.

Just don't understand articles like this. The Bears are in the middle of a long rebuilding process that Pace more or less suggested when hired. The team was in so much trouble before him. It was a team that was old and lacked talent in many positions. In this world everyone wants instant gratification without a process. They want instant result.

In defense of Pace, how many of you been upset to see the team with:

Young potential Franchise QB
Young tandem RBs with a plethora of skill sets
Young improving defense on the rise
Early draft pick
80m in cap room

Sure there is serious need at WR, need for a OL or two and maybe a few DBs. But this is early in the offseason and several of those will be filled. One or two moves could greatly change the dynamics of this picture. But I happen to like where the team sits.

Speaking of the WR problem, letting Jeffery go was a mistake IMO. But going into the season you loose Merrideth and White to injury. It was kinda the perfect storm of suck. Blame Pace for Jeffery, but injuries can take a serious blow on a team.

Anyway, maybe I'm just optimistic. But whatever. Lol

Well said, sir. Total co-sign.