Bears’ failure to sign Gilmore could lead to their demise
I’m writing this article on pure adrenaline, anger and confusion. This might not be my most informative article I’ve ever written, but it might be my most passionate.
The Chicago Bears had Stephon Gilmore in the palm of their hand. It was almost a lock that the cornerback would end up in the Windy City.
In classic Bears fashion, they managed to screw up the easiest of tasks.
Fast forward another day, and Gilmore is now a member of the evil empire that is the New England Patriots. He was reportedly disappointed that the Bears didn’t take their offer seriously. While some may argue that it’s still early in free agency, the Bears’ options are dwindling by the day.
With Gilmore gone, the only available cornerback left who even puts up an argument of being elite is A.J. Bouye. However, he’s only heavily considering two teams: the Jaguars and the Titans. Barring a last-second change of heart, the Bears are out on him.
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That leaves them with…Logan Ryan? Prince Amukamara? Nobody left exactly screams “number-one cornerback”.
Unless the Bears give up a draft pick and trade for someone like Trumaine Johnson, the cornerback position will still be a need. Considering that it is their biggest hole on defense, it’s disappointing that they (probably) failed to make a splash.
John Fox is entering his third year as the Bears’ head coach, as is Ryan Pace as general manager. Through 32 games, their record is 9-23. They have yet to even come close to having a winning season. If they don’t have a major turnaround this year, then at least one of them won’t be back next January.
Pace has been fairly conservative with spending money during free agency in his tenure as general manager. In most cases, this has been fine. However, both he and his head coach are on the hot seat, the latter moreso than the former. They need to improve the team this year to keep their jobs.
So it only makes sense that they’d be aggressive in free agency, right? Well, good news, Bears fans: they hear you loud and clear. That means they’ll make a big splash in free agency this year…
Mike Glennon. Then they’ll refuse to pay any other elite free agent.
The Bears have put themselves in a position where they cannot win right away. For a first-year coach and general manager, this would be fine. However, Fox and Pace are entering their third year with the Bears. The time for waiting is over. Things need to change, and fast.
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