Why the Bears are optimistic about the future

The overarching theme of general manager Ryan Pace's state of the Chicago Bears address was that much work needs to be done after a disappointing season but optimism abounds, and there is a confidence throughout the organization that the program is headed in the right direction.

“Obviously frustrated with our season, frustrated with our final (6-10) record,” Pace said. “We've got to finish close games and play with better consistency going forward.

“Now it's up to us to make the right personnel decisions this off-season, and we need to add talent to our roster. We need to add more playmakers to help us finish close games, and we'll do that.”

Though the final record was just one game better than last season, 6 of the Bears' 10 losses were by 6 points or fewer. Pace also believes that the changes already made during the transition year position the team for success in the future.

“There is a lot of positive as we continue to build,” the GM said. “We worked hard on adjusting and tweaking the roster throughout the season to better the culture, and I think you've seen that.”

That started in the off-season when talented but problematic wide receiver Brandon Marshall was practically given away.

It continued when off-the-field headache Ray McDonald was cut two months after his March signing. During the season veteran nose tackle Jeremiah Ratliff was waived after threatening to kill everyone at Halas Hall.

“We're always going to have a focus on intelligent players, tough players, passionate and good teammates,” Pace said. “That's always going to be the case.

“We knew we needed to get younger, and we did that. We played a lot of younger players, among the most rookies in the NFL. That player development is only going to help us going forward.”

The Bears had 12 rookies and four other first-year players on the Week 17 53-man roster, plus three more rookies, including their top two draft picks, on injured lists.

Nine of the Bars' rookies started at least one game.

Going into free agency last year, the 38-year-old Pace, in his first year as a general manager, employed a diverse allocation of financial resources in the market.

Linebacker Pernell McPhee received a splashy, five-year, $38.75 million deal, but several veterans were signed to one-year, make-good deals, most of them extremely thrifty.

The Bears have a healthy salary-cap situation this year, but their approach will be similar. No blockbuster signing is expected.

“Last year there might've been a little more one-year deals than we would typically do, just because we're just getting here, we want to evaluate our team, and these one-year deals give us a little bit of flexibility.

“I don't like to put all our eggs in one basket in free agency. We can be a little more targeted, now that we really know our team extremely well.

“But I don't think you're going to see us make one splash free-agent signing. I think it's going to be kind of spread out your resources a little bit.”

Maybe the most important off-season question Pace and Fox must answer about their own team, which has 18 players coming out of contract, is what to do about UFA Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

He is a difference-making player but is coming off an injury-riddled season that limited him to nine games.

“Obviously when Alshon played, he was explosive and a playmaker for our offense,” Gase said. “The previous two season he'd been healthy and highly productive.

“He was frustrated by his injuries. We were frustrated by his injuries.

“We've got to get a better grasp of that. Part of the evaluation of a player is his injuries and his availability. We'll take that into account.”

Before that, head coach John Fox probably will have to replace offensive coordinator Adam Gase. The team already has fielded requests from three teams seeking to interview Gase for head-coach openings.

“We have a good plan in place,” Fox said, “and finding good quality coaches has never been a problem.”

Friday marks the anniversary of Pace's hiring, and it has been a whirlwind of highs and lows, But he's excited by the coaching staff, roster, culture and the foundation that has been put down.

“I have mixed emotions on the season,” Pace said. “Those close losses can kind of give you some sleepless nights. But, bigger picture, I'm excited about what we've got going here.

“This has been the fastest year of my life, but it's been all good.”

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