Maybe I don't understand the draft process but a lot of people on here write as if Pace picked and then went into another room where Fox and Fangio were sitting, and shouted 'surprise, guess who I picked!!'.
I figured, perhaps incorrectly, that one of the smartest Defensive Coordinators in the game and a hugely experienced Head Coach would have a significant input into the process - and these guys would have spent months mulling over options, perhaps meeting with players and reviewing game film, going over tiny details to ensure players drafted fitted into a larger game plan that would see the Bears actually be competitive in a year or two? Then based on that, the GM would make his selections.
My assumption when Pace joined and Fox/Fangio came on board was that the rebuild would take three to four years, that seemed a reasonable amount of time to move from a a team that was truly non-competitive to one that could hold their own in the Division and begin to look at the playoffs as the norm rather than an exception. Eighteen months on and we look to have a young roster, a bunch of players with a high ceiling and a coaching staff who are committed to their development. Are they the finished article - hell no - but has Pace put down a solid foundation that will turn the tide, I think that's beyond question.
