I don’t get Ryan Pace, the general manager of the Bears. He’s had a bizarre offseason.
He kicked it off by signing Mike Glennon to a three-year deal worth $45 million, with $16 million guaranteed. That seemed high, with Glennon being a former third-round pick who hasn’t done much. Was anybody pursuing him? Why didn’t Glennon have to settle for a deal worth/ $4-5 million per year?
Then they had the crazy draft day trade, giving up three picks to move up one spot to select Mitchell Trubisky, who it appears was going to be available at No. 3 anyway.
I have also been baffled by his decisions at wide receiver. Earlier, Pace signed Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright. On Thursday, he added Victor Cruz into the mix.
Wheaton got decent money -- $11 million for two years, with $6 million 2017 guaranteed. The others are more modest – one year for $4 million for Wright, and one year for $2 million for Cruz.
But what is the hope with these guys? None of them have done much of anything in any of the last three seasons? Cruz missed all of the 2015 season and had trouble getting open last year. He’ll be 31 in November, and I think he’s just lost too much speed.
The Titans soured on Wright last year, to the point where they didn’t even activate him for a couple of late-season games. He’s caught fewer than 40 passes two years in a row. Chicago’s offensive coordinator, at least, is Dowell Loggains, who had some success with Wright way back when.
Wheaton was hurt for most of last year. The previous two seasons, he was a 16-game starter for a really good Steelers offense, but with little impact.
Chicago’s best wide receiver, I think, won’t be any of those guys but Cameron Meredith, who made the team as an undrafted free agent two years ago. Meredith put up top-20 receiving numbers in his final 12 games last year, averaging 5 catches and 70 yards, with 4 TDs and a touchdown pass (on a gadget play).
They’ve also got Kevin White, and they’re still hoping he can turn things around.
Will be a surprise, I think, if they get much out of any of these three veterans.
| CHICAGO'S NEW RECEIVERS (since 2014) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | No | Rec | Avg | TD |
| 2015 | Markus Wheaton, Pitt. | 44 | 749 | 17.0 | 5 |
| 2014 | Kendall Wright, Tenn. | 57 | 715 | 12.5 | 6 |
| 2014 | Markus Wheaton, Pitt. | 53 | 644 | 12.2 | 2 |
| 2016 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 39 | 586 | 15.0 | 1 |
| 2016 | Kendall Wright, Tenn. | 29 | 416 | 14.3 | 3 |
| 2015 | Kendall Wright, Tenn. | 36 | 408 | 11.3 | 3 |
| 2014 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 23 | 337 | 14.7 | 1 |
| 2016 | Markus Wheaton, Pitt. | 4 | 51 | 12.8 | 1 |
| 2015 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 |
—Ian Allan