LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) - There were no major revelations or bold proclamations from Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace heading into the draft.
“This time of year I think it’s OK to be a little boring in these moments,” Pace said Tuesday.
He’s saving the excitement for when the draft starts on Thursday.
Pace has shown he’s not afraid to make a bold move to get the player he wants. And with the No. 8 pick, the Bears have a chance to land a difference-maker whether they stand pat or make a trade.
Pace staked his reputation last year to Mitchell Trubisky when he traded up a spot with San Francisco to grab the quarterback he believes is the one to help energize a struggling franchise with the second pick.
In 2016, Pace moved up two spots with Tampa Bay to land outside linebacker Leonard Floyd at No. 9.
“I think when we identify a guy that we like - and there’s unified vision in the building of a player that we want - I don’t think we’re ever afraid to go up and get that guy,” he said.
“I’d rather do that and ensure we get that guy, than he goes right before you and everybody walks out of the draft room, you know, a little bit disappointed.”
There has been plenty of disappointment at Halas Hall and Soldier Field in recent years.
The Bears have four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North and just one trip to the playoffs since the 2006 team’s run to the Super Bowl.
Even so, they believe they have the quarterback in place to lift a struggling franchise.
They’ve spent the offseason trying to surround him with the pieces he needs to reach his potential, hiring offensive-minded coach Matt Nagy to replace John Fox and signing receiver Allen Robinson.
Now, they have another chance to land a major contributor. Whether they go for help on offense or a potential centerpiece on defense in the first round, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson and Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith would seem to fit.
Pace said the Bears have identified eight players they would be comfortable taking at No. 8. None are quarterbacks, though he believes a strong class this year works to Chicago’s advantage.
Pace was also asked about the decision to let receiver Cameron Meredith sign with New Orleans. The team’s leading receiver in 2016, he missed last season because of a knee injury.
Because the Bears tendered him at the low restricted free agent level, they did not get any compensation from the Saints.
“Obviously he was coming off an injury,” said Pace, who worked in New Orleans’ front office before the Bears hired him as GM in 2015.
“We lean on our training staff and our docs. Hey, I’ve got a lot of respect for Cam and a lot of respect for the organization he went to (Saints). We wish him luck.”
Pace also said the Bears will decide whether to pick up receiver Kevin White’s fifth-year option after the draft.
It seems unlikely they will, considering the West Virginia product has been limited to just five games since Chicago selected him with the No. 7 pick in 2015.
“Right now it’s all focused on the draft,” Pace said. “Then once the draft’s over, we’ll meet with him and his agent and make that decision.”
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