5 Key Decisions for Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace

The Ryan Pace era in Chicago is underway.

Pace, the rookie general manager whom the Bears hired to replace Phil Emery, has his hands full with a roster that inspires more questions than answers.

The Bears are still without a head coach almost two weeks after the dismissal of Marc Trestman. Until a replacement is hired, no decision can be made on the future of quarterback Jay Cutler. A full-scale launch of the offseason scouting program and free-agent evaluations must also wait.

And that’s only the beginning of what will be a long process.

The league year begins on March 10, followed by the draft at the end of April, leaving Pace with approximately three months to start answering some of the questions surrounding the team.

So, where does he begin? Let’s take a look at what Pace’s initial to-do list should look like.

Place a Call to Free-Agent LB Lance Briggs

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Pace needs to pick up the phone and call free-agent linebacker Lance Briggs.

The Bears’ linebacking group struggled immensely during the 2014 season, one in which Briggs missed the final eight games due to injury.

Of the three starting linebackers, Briggs is the only one who is set to hit the open market, leaving Shea McClellin and Jon Bostic as the remaining two starters. That can’t happen as the Bears transition to their third defensive coordinator in four seasons.

Despite the 2014 season not starting or ending well for the 12-year veteran, the Bears defense would benefit from having Briggs back under new management.

Briggs’ relationship with the Bears began souring when former GM Phil Emery fired former head coach Lovie Smith after a 10-6 2012 season.

During an appearance Friday on ESPN 1000's Carmen and Jurko, Briggs sounded somewhat open to the new leaf that has been turned at Halas Hall. Now does that mean he’d be open to a return? Who knows? But it doesn’t hurt to at least have the conversation, even if nothing changes in the end.

Say what you want about Briggs, but he'll go down as one of the best linebackers in team history. He has said that he still wants to play, in Chicago or elsewhere.

Why not throw a moderately priced contract at him and see what happens?

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Briggs was the 10th-best outside linebacker in 2014, playing 461 snaps with a grade of plus-7.6. So, it's not like he can't play anymore.

Make the Decision to Keep QB Jay Cutler

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Pace needs to roll the dice with Cutler, which will not be a popular decision with Bears fans.

Pace has yet to make a decision on Cutler's future in Chicago. The longer Pace waits, the worse off Cutler’s relationship will be with the organization if he ends up being the quarterback next season.

If Pace can't find a trade partner, Cutler all but certainly will be back under center for the Bears.

He is owed $15.5 million guaranteed in 2015, and $10 million of the $16 million he’s due to make in 2016 becomes guaranteed when the calendar strikes March 13, 2015. That’s a lot of money.

If the Bears were to cut Cutler before the league year begins, his contact would count for nearly $20 million in dead money against the salary cap next season. That's too much money. With no real backup plan in pace, moving on from Cutler right now would be foolish, unless there's a trade.

Even though trades cannot be made until after the season, Pace needs to be working the phones to see what kind of market exists for Cutler and his hefty contract.

Within one week of the head coach being named, Pace needs to have this decision made or he'll risk losing Cutler.

The sooner a decision is made the better.

Move Kyle Long to Left Tackle

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The time is now for two-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long to move to left tackle, replacing Jermon Bushrod, a guy who has a history with Pace.

Pace and Bushrod won a Super Bowl together in New Orleans, but that history can't overrule what's best for the organization. Long is hands down the best offensive lineman on the team, regardless of position, and it's time for the Bears to give Long a shot at left tackle.

Long is one of four linemen in the NFL who played at least 75 percent of their team's snaps and did not allow a sack during the 2014 season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Long rates at the 10th-best guard in the league.

Where does Bushrod land on the list? He's the 35th-best (subscription required) or 10th-worst tackle in the league.

Long should move to left tackle and Bushrod to right tackle. The Bears can draft a new right guard.

Finding a cornerstone left tackle is tough to do in the NFL, and the Bears have one sitting at right guard.

Bring Fox to the Bears

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The clock is ticking for Pace to hire a head coach.

As of Wednesday evening, the Bears have interviewed at least six candidates for the team’s head coaching vacancy.

According to The Associated Press (h/t FoxSports.com), the list includes former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles (hired by Jets), Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone and former Broncos head coach John Fox.

The list includes a little bit of everything—young choices, veteran choices, offensive minds and defensive minds. The majority of those coaches would fit the Bears somewhat nicely, but the right choice is clear.

Fox “mutually” parted ways with the Broncos earlier this week. He coached the team to 49 wins, four straight AFC West titles and an unsuccessful trip to the 2014 Super Bowl that ended with a blowout loss to Quinn’s Seahawks.

Fox interviewed Wednesday at Halas Hall and was on his way back to Denver later in the evening. Letting him go without a deal in place was a mistake. To go from Marc Trestman to John Fox in a matter of weeks would be quite the turnaround for the NFL’s charter franchise.

With a roster that still enlists quite a bit of offensive talent and a few defensive pieces that can be built around in free agency and the draft, bringing in a veteran head coach who can rally a downtrodden team makes a lot of sense—almost too much sense.

Fox is a coach who loves to run the football and play hard-nosed defense—two things the Bears didn't do much of in 2014.

One of Fox's former players, quarterback Jake Delhomme, a guy he once cut, had nothing but positive things to say about his former head coach on Wednesday when he joined ESPN 1000's Carmen and Jurko:

"

Tough and honest, that's John. He's a very tough guy. There's a mentality a football team takes on when John's their coach. And he's honest. He's brutally honest. And I think as a player, that's all you could ever ask for is honesty. Those are the two things that always stuck out. He treated everyone with respect, from the janitor, his secretary, just whoever it was—a practice squad to a Pro Bowl player—[he] knew everybody's name. You wanted to play for him. That was the biggest thing. Just gritty, honest, and tough. That's kind of the John that I know and still know to this day.

"

What's not to like about this guy, right? Fox just brings every important intangible to the table.

Fox has connections to Pace and consultant Ernie Accorsi. Fox worked for Accorsi in New York and is close friends and former colleagues with Pace's close confident, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Remember when the Bears had Bruce Arians at Halas Hall and let him leave only to never return? The same mistake cannot be made with Fox. Bring him back into the building and make him sign a contract before it’s too late.

Don't overthink it, Mr. Pace. Make the offer.

Keep Brandon Marshall on the Roster

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

There have been whispers in Chicago of late that have suggested the Bears are planning to move on from Marshall, specifically from Terry Boers of 670 AM The Score.

Boers (h/t Jordan Campbell of FanSided) reported last week that the decision to move on from Marshall was made before the Bears hired Pace and came from those who sit atop the organization. The idea of getting rid of Marshall is rather preposterous.

Sure, Marshall can be a distraction, even a headache at times. But the behavior we saw last season from Marshall is nothing out of character. He was the same Marshall he’d always been, the same guy whom the Bears signed to a three-year, $30 million contract last offseason.

The Bears need Marshall just as much as Marshall needs the Bears. In his three seasons in Chicago, Marshall has caught 279 passes for 3,524 yards and 31 touchdowns. He’s already the best receiver the franchise has ever seen.

And in those three seasons, Marshall has planted roots in Chicago—especially after his wife just delivered twins a few weeks back.

If the Bears aren't happy with Marshall, then sit him down and get on the same page. If the Bears were to try and move on from Marshall this offseason, his contract would count as $13 million in dead money against the salary cap.

That’s just too much money to throw away, especially if there’s a chance the team also moves on from Cutler and his bloated salary.

If the team does want send Marshall packing, the best time to do it would be after the 2015 season, when his contract would count for only $3.75 million against the cap. For now, though, Marshall must stay.

Pace needs to be careful with cutting guys with big dead-money cap figures. Even though the cap is expected to rise in the coming years, making too many of these moves now could handcuff his ability to be a spender in free agency. The Bears have nearly $27 million to spend this offseason.

Contract information provided by Spotrac.