March 22--Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace is in the middle of a hectic and critical offseason. With the first waves of free agency complete, Pace had made several key additions to his roster, most notably linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman, right tackle Bobby Massie and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. Pace also was able to re-sign several key starters with cornerback Tracy Porter and tight end Zach Miller agreeing to new deals.
Still, there's a lot of heavy lifting ahead with the remainder of free agency and next month's draft left to complete. So the 39-year-old GM is in no way exhaling. On Tuesday afternoon, during a short break at the NFL's owners meetings at the Boca Raton Resort, Pace spoke with beat reporters on a wide variety of topics. Here are the highlights of what he had to say.
On what most attracted the Bears to Trevathan:
"He's a well-rounded linebacker, (against the) run and pass. He's a good tackler. He's athletic. He brings a playmaking ability to our defense. I like his demeanor. It's kind of the toughness and the charisma he brings. I like that we had background and familiarity with him (after he played his first three seasons under John Fox). I think that helps. We talk about the risks in free agency. So it's nice when we're signing guys that we have background with. I think it kind of reduces your risk a little bit."
On last week's trade of Martellus Bennett to the Patriots:
"I think you're weighing all these factors into the equation: the player, his contract, his age, the draft pick you're going to get in return and what else is out there (at the position). So you're kind of weighing all that. And honestly, there are things going on behind the scenes all the time and a lot of them just never come to fruition because they never transpire. And then sometimes they do. And in this case, it was an example of a deal where we felt it was really win-win for all parties. And we were able to move up in the draft. And we think this is a strong draft. So now having two fourth-round picks is valuable to us."
On the decision to move Kyle Long from right tackle back inside to right guard:
"It was really, hey, let's just acquire the best offensive lineman. In this case, we feel Bobby (Massie) is a really good right tackle. So it kind of let us put our best five on the field. It could have transpired differently. It just kind came to us that way. And we felt we got good value on (Massie) so it pushes Kyle back into guard and we're rolling. ... He has more experience there. But I want to stress, too, he did a good job at tackle and I appreciated his flexibility and his team-first attitude. This does push him back inside where he has more experience, but again, it's just putting our best five on the field."
On putting Alshon Jeffery under the franchise tag:
"Really, this just bought us more time. So now we've extended that window and we're continuing to negotiate. And those (negotiations) have been cordial and productive and ongoing. So it's good."
On the push to bring Porter back:
"He was a priority. It's just how he played for us, our background with him, his leadership in a young secondary. All those things kind of connected to make that a priority to get him back. When I knew Tracy (in New Orleans), it was early in his career. So now I've seen a player who has matured. And he brings a lot of swagger and confidence to the position which is important. Because you've got to be aggressive there as far as willingness to attack the ball and go make a play. And I think that's infectious sometimes with the other guys."
dwiederer@tribpub.com
