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Pace pleased with vision, balance he has with Fox

INDIANAPOLIS - According to general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox, their shared vision for the future of the Bears differs drastically from their predecessors.

"We share a similar vision," Pace said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Strong defensive play, physical offense, run the ball, which we're going to have to do in Chicago; build through the draft. Those are some similar philosophies."

Last year, under GM Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman, the Bears were 27th offensively in rushing yards and 30th defensively in total yards and 31st in points allowed.

Although the 37-year-old Pace is 23 years younger than Fox, the GM says they share the same enthusiasm for the job.

"It's been awesome," Pace said. "The positive energy he brings to the building, honestly, you would think he's younger than me. It's hard for me to hang with him sometimes. He's got so much energy and enthusiasm. I think it is a great balance between me and him right now."

Conversion principle:

Teams that play a 3-4 defense, which the Bears will do this year, must often predict how defensive ends in 4-3 college schemes will adapt to playing outside linebacker in the NFL.

General manager Ryan Pace doesn't consider that a problem. In New Orleans, Pace was involved with drafting players for both schemes.

"A lot of times it opens it up for you," Pace said. "Because there are a lot of undersized defensive ends in college who can stand up and play outside linebacker in the 3-4. So it's exciting to me. There are undersized ends who can play that stand-up position and rush the quarterback from a two-point stance."

Key indicators:

While the 40-yard dash and the bench press get most of the attention at the combine, general manager Ryan Pace is more concerned with face time. And he considers what a player has put on film to be a much better indicator of future success than how he tests at the combine.

"The most important thing I get out of this is the interviews we do at nighttime and the medical (evaluations)," he said. "We've got to be really cautious about some guy working out well in shorts. The film, I wholeheartedly believe, is the No. 1 priority when you look at these (players.)"

Eyeing the market:

Free agency begins March 10, and GM Ryan Pace says the Bears could make a splash.

"We're healthy with our (salary) cap right now," Pace said. "So, if we want to be (aggressive), we can. It's just measuring what positions are strong in free agency vs. what positions are strong in the draft.

"We're going through that right now. If there is a player that we know can upgrade us right now, we'll attack it. We'll look at every level of it and upgrade our roster that way."

The 2015 salary cap hasn't been announced, but the Bears are expected to have about $27 million available.

"We'll look in free agency, and I'll know the positions that are strong, areas that we can attack," Pace said. "We'll be calculated. In a perfect world, you address a lot of your needs in free agency to open up the draft for best player available."

Different sizes, shapes:

Any 3-4 defense would benefit from having a monstrous, run-stuffing nose tackle like the Patriots' Vince Wilfork or the Ravens' Haloti Ngata in the middle of the line. But GM Ryan Pace doesn't believe it's a necessity.

Jeremiah Ratliff was a perennial Pro Bowler with the Dallas Cowboys from 2008-11 playing at close to his present weight of 303 pounds. Last year's second-round pick, 6-foot-2, 315-pound Ego Ferguson also projects to nose tackle in the Bears' 3-4.

"I think there's a couple guys (on the roster) who can do it," Pace said. "One of them's done it before in Dallas. It doesn't have to be this big, 350-pound space-eater. You can use (the nose tackle) in a variety of ways."

Bears coach John Fox. Associated Press
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