Feb. 18--INDIANAPOLIS -- With the NFL scouting combine intensifying this week, NFL teams are busy zeroing in on their preparation for this spring's draft. But the draft is still more than two months away. And every organization first will have a crack at strengthening their rosters during free agency, with that market set to open in full in less than three weeks.
So just how will Ryan Pace attack free agency during his first go-around as a general manager with the Chicago Bears?
During a session with reporters Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pace noted that the Bears' salary-cap health will allow them to be as aggressive as they want to be next month. But that's not to say there will be any sort of splurge when the market opens.
Instead, Pace and his personnel staff will first work to identify the Bears' greatest needs, then cross-check those against what might be available to them both in free agency and in the draft.
"What I like doing," Pace said, "is balancing, what are the strengths of the draft vs. what are the strengths of free agency. ... We'll look in free agency and I'll know the positions that are strong and areas that we can attack. And hey,we'll do that. We'll be calculated.
"In a perfect world, you address a lot of your needs in free agency to open up the draft for 'best player available.'"
For what it's worth, this year's draft is being widely touted as incredibly deep at wide receiver and offensive tackle while the classes at safety and quarterback are considerably thinner. That certainly will be something for the Bears to take note of as free agency approaches.
The team's announced move to adopt a 3-4 defense also will create a laundry list of new needs for Pace and the Bears as they rearrange their defensive line and linebacking corps.
Pace understands the mountain of work that's ahead but preferred to remain nondescript in sharing what he has identified as the team's biggest needs since becoming the GM last month.
"That's ongoing," Pace said. "We're establishing some of that internally. I'd rather keep some of that in-house for now. But again, I'm excited about free agency approaching and the draft. And we'll be able to address those (needs)."
