The "final judgment" of Bears GM Ryan Pace's success or failure with the team will "forever be linked to Thursday night's decision" to trade up to the No. 2 pick and select North Carolina QB Mitchell Trubisky, according to Dan Wiederer of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The "momentous trade" sent jaws "to the floor." The Bears "dealt the 49ers a four-pack of picks" to move up one spot, and many Bears fans "reacted with shock and confusion at what went down." It "wasn’t merely the selection of Trubisky that prompted the passionate outcry." Rather it was the "draft capital the Bears surrendered." Pace "seemed taken aback when he was asked late Thursday night whether he’d have to sell the fan base on his bold move" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/28). FOXSPORTS.com's Zack Pierce wrote the move was "received less than warmly" at the Bears’ official draft party in Chicago. There were some "mouths agape, some hands thrown in the air." The "highlight is definitely the guy in the dress shirt yelling, 'A quarterback?!'" Pierce: "For now, it’s all puzzling, but it will be fun to see how this plays out" (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/27). In Chicago, Rich Campbell writes the trade was a "bold move that Bears fans and football followers everywhere will analyze for years to come" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/28).
MAKING A SPLASH: In Chicago, David Haugh writes Pace "opted for bold over blase," and the move meant a "slight buzz is back" around the team. Haugh: "So much for the Bears being boring." While not being "crazy about the cost for Trubisky," Haugh writes he can "appreciate what motivated a struggling organization to take a calculated risk, identify a franchise quarterback and invest as much as necessary" to get its guy. Pace's approach "might have been just what a sleepy franchise needed" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/28). Also in Chicago, Rick Morrissey gives a "tip of the cap" to Pace for "having the courage to make a choice that is very much a roll of the dice." Morrissey: "I like the idea of the Bears throwing caution to the wind and going for it" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/28).
HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD: The Chicago DAILY HERALD's Barry Rozner writes Pace "officially put his job on the line" with the selection of Trubisky. For his own sake, Pace "better be a genius" and Trubisky "better be great." Rozner: "If not, Pace will have to sell his story somewhere else" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 4/28). In Chicago, Patrick Finley writes the reputations of Pace and Bears coach John Fox are now "irrevocably tied" to Trubisky (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/28). SPORTS ON EARTH's Jason Hirschhorn writes Pace and Fox have "effectively wagered their reputation on a signal-caller with just 13 starts under his belt" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 4/28). The SUN-TIMES' Adam Jahns writes if Trubisky "is a bust, then so is Pace." If "he’s a star, Pace is one, too." Jahns: "They’ll define each other" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/28). Meanwhile, PATRIOTS.com's Don Banks writes Pace and Fox are both "facing a hot-seat season that could easily cost them their jobs," so Thursday's move comes from them feeling a "sense of desperation to win enough this year to keep their jobs" (PATRIOTS.com, 4/28).
