5 things we learned from Pace, Nagy during Tuesday's press conference

Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy met with the media Tuesday for the first time in nearly two months. Here are five take-aways from the media session.

1. A disgruntled star might seem like a long shot, but so did Khalil Mack

Pace is well aware when a player vents his frustration on social media. From the sounds of it, that's when the NFL GM group text chain heats up.

"That's when you lean on the relationships that you have in the league," Pace said. "Right now, just me talking to GMs throughout the league, that's commonplace right now. You lean on those relationships and you're able to quickly determine what's real and what's not."

Enter Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. Both quarterbacks are less than thrilled with their current teams in Houston and Seattle, respectively. Pace noted that while players like that might seem like a long shot, sometimes opportunities arise where least expected.

Remember when the Oakland Raiders were refusing to entertain trade talks for outside linebacker Khalil Mack in 2018? Obviously, that situation changed.

"You lean on, with (former Raiders GM) Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden and that relationship, that communication," Pace said. "It just progresses, and then eventually something that might not seem realistic at the time becomes a reality."

2. Pace believes 'proof is in the pudding' with Bears' extension track record

Pace was predictably vague regarding Allen Robinson and his prolonged battle for a contract extension. Pace did, however, defend his track record when it comes to extending key players. Rarely do contract talks between the Bears and a top player reach this sort of impasse.

"We usually find a way to make that work," Pace said. "The proof is kind of in the pudding with that. And every one of them is different. Every one of them is personal, and that's why I'm sensitive. ... Allen has a really good agent that we've worked with in the past, and it's a process. We're kind of going through that."

Pace noted that the franchise tag is "an option" with Robinson, but also said that "it doesn't mean we're necessarily going to use that." Signing Robinson to an extension would do more to alleviate his cap hit in 2021, and obviously keep him with the team long-term.

3. Nagy sounds willing to adjust to whichever QB they bring in

The Bears aren't going to try to fit a square peg into a round hole. If Nagy learned anything from his three seasons with Mitch Trubisky, it's that he can't force a quarterback to work in his ideal offensive system. There has to be a give and take between which system fits the players and which players fit the system.

Nagy said he ideally wants a mobile quarterback - like Trubisky - but mobility isn't a deal-breaker.

"Leadership, decision-making and if you have some versatility as a quarterback with your legs, great," Nagy said. "If you don't, no problem. We can work around it."

The only free agent quarterback Nagy mentioned by name Tuesday was Alex Smith, whom he worked with in Kansas City. Nagy praised Smith's leadership.

Also, don't dismiss Nick Foles as a potential starting quarterback for the Bears in 2021. Nagy sounded like a man who knows a competent running game earlier in the season could've helped Foles out.

"In all fairness to Nick, when we went through the stretch that we went through as an offense, there was a lot of areas that we could have been better at," Nagy said.

He later added: "(Foles) stepped up in a lot of different ways and just showed who he was. Now, do we want more from him? Yes. Can we get more from him? Yes?"

4. Pace was noncommittal about Kyle Fuller and Akiem Hicks

Pace was highly hesitant to mention any players by name. Cornerback Kyle Fuller and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks are two veterans entering the final year of their respective contracts, and could provide huge cap savings if they were cut or traded.

Asked directly about Fuller or Hicks, Pace declined to comment, but noted that every team is going to have to make difficult decisions in a year when the salary cap is going down.

"It's going to be about adjusting," Pace said. "We're not the only team in the league that is dealing with these circumstances. Everyone's prepping for a lower cap. We have a plan in place with that. It involves different things. There's different ways for us to create room with our cap, not just releasing players. That's a hard part of the business."

5. The Bears interviewed nine defensive coordinator candidates

Nagy is excited to see how defensive coordinator Sean Desai adjusts to his new role. Speaking to the media for the first time since Desai's promotion, Nagy wouldn't comment on the eight other candidates, but said he's excited to see what Desai can do.

"I'm just really excited and looking forward to him putting his spin onto this defense," Nagy said. "He's been waiting for this for a long time and now the opportunity's here and I'm really, really excited for him and our team."

Former Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will serve as "a sounding board" for Desai, Nagy said.