If Ryan Pace specialized in throwing horseshoes or hand grenades, he’d be taking a victory lap Wednesday. But because he’s the general manager of a football team — one that hasn’t had a star quarterback in 71 years — Pace once again found himself the target of Bears fans who’d allowed themselves to dream.
Andy Dalton? Really?
The Bears agreed to give Dalton a one-year, $10 million deal — which could be worth $13 total after incentives — only after Pace was unable to convince the Seahawks to give up Russell Wilson, the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who’s grown frustrated with being regularly planted in the dirt like a tulip bulb.
Wednesday, the Bears wanted the world — and probably Wilson himself — to know that they tried. They want you to think they were this close to landing Wilson. Talk maven Dan Patrick, to whom Wilson explained his frustration earlier this offseason, detailed Pace’s “Godfather” offer. When he attended North Dakota State’s pro day alongside Seattle general manager John Schneider on Friday, Pace discussed three first-round picks, a third-rounder and two players for Wilson.
That’s Herschel Walker trade territory, though the draft picks may never have been high enough in Round 1 to land a new quarterback. The Seahawks — specifically, head coach Pete Carroll, per NFL Network — said no.
What now? The offer informs what the Bears next step could be:
- If the Bears circle back and try to trade for Wilson again — be it next month or next year — the Seahawks absolutely can’t accept any less than what they just turned down. The Seahawks would eat $39 million in dead cap money if they move him before June 1. A 2021 trade seems unlikely — but falls just short of impossible, depending on whether the Seahawks give Wilson the control, and blocking, he desires.
- Pace isn’t afraid to mortgage the future if given the chance to land a quarterback, be it Wilson, the Texans’ Deshaun Watson or someone else. The Bears will be tied to every unhappy, half-decent starter in the league as long as Dalton and Nick Foles are the only quarterbacks on their roster.
- The Bears are candidates to move up in the draft to select a quarterback they like in late April. It will cost them their first-round pick next year, at least, to move up from No. 20 into the top 10. By comparison, the Texans moved from No. 25 to 12 to pick Watson in 2017 by offering up a 2018 first-rounder. That’s still cheaper than what Wilson would have cost.
Even with Dalton in hand, Pace will spend the next six weeks examining his other quarterback options. He and coach Matt Nagy began that discussion in early January, focusing their attention on Wilson after his agent gave a four-team list of preferred destinations Feb. 25.
Word of the Bears’ offer shows Pace and Nagy were serious when he said he’d explore every potential quarterback scenario — the Bears dangled their line in the water to try to lure the biggest fish. But what’s the old line about mistaking activity for achievement? The Bears trying — and failing — to land Wilson should not be interpreted as noble.
Pace shot for the moon to dig out of the hole he fell into when he traded up to draft Mitch Trubisky in 2017. And refused to draft a single other quarterback during his tenure. And when he signed quarterback Mike Glennon. And traded for Nick Foles. And was left without a first-round pick in 2019 and 2020 because of the Khalil Mack trade. And more.
It was as if Pace sold his house at the wrong time, walked down the street and offered the owner of a mansion far above the Zillow price, only to be told to hit the bricks.
It takes two to swing a deal, no matter how desperate the buyer might be.
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March 18, 2021 at 02:18AM
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What now? 3 things to glean from Bears’ big swing for Russell Wilson - Chicago Sun-Times
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