Rozner: Bears' Pace off to strong start rebuilding
In a perfect world, you draft well and don't have to spend like a stumbling sailor in NFL free agency.
Unfortunately, the Bears have not lived in that world under their past couple general managers.
So Ryan Pace has had little choice but to try to fortify his roster by spending now, hoping he can fill a few of the many holes on the roster before he takes his second shot at the draft late next month in Chicago.
The Bears have so many needs that it's hard to argue with where Pace has begun rebuilding, and he's off to a good start.
At a bare minimum, the Bears needed a couple of offensive linemen, perhaps a pair of tight ends and another receiver on offense.
On defense, it's much worse. They needed at least two defensive linemen, maybe as many as three linebackers, a safety and a corner, assuming they could get Tracy Porter re-signed last week.
They did that and it was crucial considering how thin the Bears are on defense. They need playmakers and once Porter got healthy last year, he was far from perfect but still able to show that he could make big plays when the Bears needed them.
The Bears managed a No. 4 ranking in pass defense in 2015, but with just 8 picks they were 30th in that essential category and only 4 came from the defensive backfield.
Porter at least showed that he can break on the ball, while the jury is out on Kyle Fuller. The Bears talked a lot about Fuller's progress as last season played out, but it was difficult to see what they were seeing.
The Bears' big splash in free agency, thus far, is at inside linebacker, where they first got Danny Trevathan. The Bears have been a disaster inside for the last three years and Trevathan brings a very steady, three-down presence and he is always around the football.
In that sense at this position, they need less spectacular and more consistent. Trevathan absolutely qualifies in that regard. He fills a huge hole and fills it quite well.
He was the best inside linebacker on the market and having played for John Fox in Denver, the Bears knew exactly what they were getting, which is one of the best combinations in the game today of run stopper who is also solid in coverage.
He's got a high football IQ, which means he reacts quickly without having to wonder what the play is, and he likes to deliver a big hit. This has been seriously lacking on the Bears' defense the last few years.
Trevathan is only 25 and the Bears have invested wisely here.
On Saturday, the Bears added probably the second-best inside linebacker on the market in 29-year-old Jerrell Freeman, another sound tackler who is also good in coverage.
So with a pair of signings, the Bears have solidified a huge position of weakness in 2015.
The other big signing of the week was right tackle Bobby Massie, which apparently means a move back to right guard for last year's right tackle, Kyle Long. Assuming Matt Slauson can stay healthy at left guard, this offers serious protection on the inside for center Hroniss Grasu.
In that sense, the line is better today than it was a few days ago, but it's incredibly unfair to Long to move him from a position he played last year out of need, and was better than he was given credit for considering he got the job less than a week before the season began.
That will cost Long money when he finally signs an extension, but as one of the best guards in the NFL, he's still going to cash in big time.
As for Massie, he's strong in the run game and mediocre in the pass game, but if the Bears are committed to running the football in 2016, they will be very strong over the right side.
The Bears still need depth on the line and left tackle is still a question with Charles Leno, who was average in 2015.
All in all, however, it was a very good week for the Bears as they continue the rebuilding project left behind by the previous regime.
But there is still much work to be done before the Bears are contending for anything.
brozner@dailyherald.com
• Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.