Ehhhh, I'll disagree slightly on top 10. A few of these "gurus" at the time thought White was better than Amari Cooper due to the sheer potential of talent that was his height, power, speed, and ability to win jump ball battles. Coming out of college, his knock was his only one year played and lack of routes--but he terrorized opponents at West Virginia. Alabama has 3 of the 4 DBs in the NFL right now the game they played against WV with in the College season prior (Cyrus Jones, Landon Collins, and Marlon Humphrey when Bradley Sylve wasn't hurt--and Sylve's gotten NFL shots, a big injury took away his crazy speed). They couldn't cover him. That one game film convinced some people, even though in a losing effort Nick Saban did a heck of a job keeping WV's offense off the field. I thought he was top 10, up until after draft talk of him possibly injuring himself before the draft. I remember Mongo talking a lot about it at the time because of the injury suffered in training camp. If it was, it was pretty well hidden enough for Pace to either not see. Or, a huge gamble that's gone wrong. I didn't want Beasley first, I remember wanting Shaq Thompson then Andrus Peat. Peat I'm wrong on because he's a back up in New Orleans. Still wanted Thompson, and I think he's being misused the way we saw with Shame. Except he's far more talented than Shame.
This was my biggest knock taking him in the top 10. I want a polished WR if I'm picking one that high and if he was such a dynamic, freakish athlete, why did he play only one year? I also know that WV's offense produces a lot of big numbers but hasn't produced much in terms of big time playmakers in the NFL at the WR position. My second biggest problem with this was that the Bears had a lot of holes but WR wasn't one of them. You had at least 2 under contract that could give you great play at WR while you built the rest of the team and then replace them if need be. Instead you traded one of them creating another hole and then choosing it to fill with a developmental WR. Pace has done some good things in the draft but he has been digging out of hole created by drafting White since he made the pick.
I think we'll disagree on Marshall. He had to go. He was talented, he made the bears better--but he wasn't part of the solution to Juicebox and Emery. I truly wish Pace would have had a contingency plan AND drafting Kevin White. Instead he settled for Eddie Royal and fielding a team to depress Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery didn't want to be here, Pace did offer him 13.5 mil per year; that's just bad luck. Because Alshon isn't worth 13.5 mil. And he wasn't going to get much better. Regardless--Pace still has accountability at WR, you trade one saying "he's part of the problem" and then John Fox run the other one off the team. You have to have some kind of real plan 'b' for that. And while I like Kendall Wright here, sorry--Markus Wheaton--when he does play--is going to have to play as a high level WR as opposed to his comfortable 4th string on Pittsburgh. That's not a realistic expectation you can have. But--the bears are in football purgatory. They don't matter, and unless they find a draft stud--no big name is coming here without a trade. Pace is going to have to spend a premium draft pick--a 1-3 rounder on one this spring unless we see a trade or a great signing, at great cost.
I know you are talking in the present but don't you think things could likely change in some respects? Glennon will likely shit the bed, and now I really hope he doesn't only because he could hold some value in trade, but lets' be honest in reality we all know he's going to shit the bed. So then enter Tribisky if he can continue to impress and be the franchise QB the Bears thought he'll be wouldn't that be attraction for a big name WR? and regardless if Fox stays or goes next season a bigger guaranteed contract won't make a difference to them anyway, however much could depend on where they take this offense and how they split it could impact that decision.
Money tends to talk. Problem is, are you looking to shell out big bucks to mid-level talent/#2 type WRs? I'd love to steal Paul Richardson from the Seahawks, because while Pete Carroll is an asshole, he coaches his WRs to be physical and aggressive. I want to see more of that and sadly haven't with this group--but a guy like Richardson wont come here for what he's actually worth. That's the problem of being a bad team right now. If you want Alshon back that much, was his pricetag 17 or 17.5 million per year with how much guaranteed? A lot of us applauded Pace for not suckering into that. Its not a fun spot to be in. The college football season has to play out a little more before we begin to know who and what could be available to fix the WR problem. It costs a premium pick from rounds 1-3, but its just frustrating we're talking about the damn WR position again.
Super bowl confirmed: ================ Adam Jahns‏Verified account @adamjahns WR Tanner Genty is going to be re-signed to the #Bears’ practice squad. He cleared waivers. 1:18 PM - 20 Sep 2017
Gentry will be on the roster soon permanently for the season. You know what you have in Bellamy and Thompson at WR (which is nothing but Special teams) and once the season is completely lost, I believe they will bring him on the active roster. Right now they are clinging to hope of salvaging this season but once it is lost, they will bring him up and give him some live reps to see what they have. Pace needs to find another Meredith diamond in the rough because of the lack of any threat in this WR core and try and find someone to be a solid WR for the future. They are clearly going to have to draft one high next year or sign a big name free agent but finding some solid 3, 4 or 5 in this lost season would be a smart thing to do.
Hot damn, did I love reading this thread. It was nice to read a conversation like that, even if it was about White/Pace's incompetency. Also... ... I made myself laugh. Two years ago, we all stated thoughts on the Over/Under for White's games started in Chicago. It was set laughably low, at 11 1/2. There's almost no way he hits that number, even if he's on the team the whole year. #7 pick. Less than 12 games started in 4 years. Knocked that one out of the park, Pace.
I can still remember the reaction when he got signed. This is an interesting way of looking at Pace's past actions.
I was in the third row at the auditorium theater when they drafted his brittle no talent high ceiling ass. It would of been nice if I witnessed a future HOFer, or hell I'll even take serviceable at this point but instead it there's a chance he might not survive his rookie contract, and he could end up being one of the greatest draft busts in Bears history. Pretty much the story of my life.
This thread has been funny to reread. And now when he goes in week 2 we won't need to start another one we can just continue this one. Well done dline. I know i wasn't. Hated the pick at the time, still hate it today.
Same. I remember pretty much everyone here hating the pick from the start. Until he plays more than 4 games in a season he's the biggest bust in franchise history. And even when he has played, he's shown absolutely nothing of being worthy of a first round, let alone top 10 pick. Given the needs at the time and the fact that Vic Beasley was drafted immediately after him made Pace look so incredibly and unforgivably foolish to this day.
I hated the pick because Pace traded away Brandon Marshall for nothing, and the fact that Kevin white only had one good season college really bothered me (see also: Trubisky).
At least Cade played two seasons and threw a bunch of TD passes to Marcus Robinson on some bad Bears teams. He was awful but produced more than White ever has.
