The Chicago Bears were the biggest story of the 2017 NFL Draft and that came as a result of the bold and questionable move to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky. The former North Carolina quarterback was seen by many as the best prospect at the position in this class, but the Bears overpaid for the right to draft him at No. 2 based on the infamous "draft chart" and the San Francisco 49ers seemed to take advantage of GM Ryan Pace with the move.
Videos by FanBuzz
With that as the back drop, Pace is catching big-time heat, including the fact that one executive believes he "just got fired" as a result of the performance.
Said a high-level executive, "(Ryan Pace) just got fired with this draft."
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 30, 2017
In addition to the trade and pick surrounding Trubisky, some analysts were shocked that Chicago reached for tight end Adam Shaheen in the second round and the deal itself left the Bears barren with regard to picks. To that end, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports cites another NFL executive in speaking about an ongoing battle between Pace and head coach John Fox that could be problematic.
"We don't know what the hell they were doing. It's all anyone is talking about. It's really bad between Pace and Fox. Fox is fuming about being left in the dark on the trade (for Trubisky). I don't know anyone who likes their draft. From the first pick on, we can't figure out what they were doing. Go back and look at how many small-school kids they took. People around the league are shocked. It's really bad between Pace and Fox."
This situation looks to be a complete mess at this point and, while it may seem simple, it is worth noting that Pace and his future with the organization are now completely tied to the success of Trubisky at quarterback. Buckle up.
