The hits, misses in Bears GM Ryan Pace's free-agent signings

Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Glennon hands off to running back Jordan Howard Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field in Chicago. John Starks | Staff Photographer

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has been active in the free-agent market since he took over on Jan. 8, 2015.

He has hit big on players such as Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan and Josh Sitton, but he has swung and missed on others, namely Mike Glennon, Eddie Royal and Antrel Rolle.

The 2017 crop is the biggest yet in Pace's tenure, but the results for that group so far have been unimpressive.

Pace's rebuilding plan relies more heavily on the draft, where he has had a higher success rate. But he needs to supplement that with a better hit percentage in free agency for the Bears to climb out of the NFC North cellar.

The hits

DL Akiem Hicks, 2016: Pace knocked it out of the park by snagging a player he was familiar with from his days in New Orleans. Hicks so outperformed the original two-year, $10 million contract he originally signed with the Bears that he received a $48 million, four-year extension just before the start of this season.

LB Danny Trevathan, 2016: The only thing that has kept Trevathan from outperforming the $28 million, four-year deal he got before the 2016 season is an unfortunate series of injuries. When healthy, Trevathan is a tackling machine who makes the entire defense better.

OG Josh Sitton, 2016 (waived free agent): He was waived by the Green Bay Packers in a salary-cap move just before the start of the 2016 season after they failed to find a trade partner. The Bears pounced with a $21 million, three-year contract that included $10 million in guaranteed money. Sitton made his fourth Pro Bowl last season.

DL Mitch Unrein, 2015 (waived free agent): The Bears picked up Unrein early in the 2015 season after he was cut by the Chargers, and he started 14 games and had a career-high 33 tackles. He re-signed the next year for $2.26 over two years, a bargain for an unsung but valuable member of the D-line rotation.

Unrein is a John Fox guy from their Denver days (2011-2014), and he's not flashy but is solid, especially against the run. He had 2 sacks in his first six seasons but already has 2½ this year.

OT Bobby Massie, 2016: Despite a slow start in his first year and occasional lapses in pass protection, Massie has started 25 of 26 games and is a force in the Bears' run game that is No. 5 in yards and No. 6 in average gain per run. He has one year left on the $18 million, three-year deal he got to leave the Arizona Cardinals that included $6.5 million in guarantees.

The misses:

QB Mike Glennon, 2017: The Bears paid Glennon like a starter, at least for this year ($16 million), but he was replaced after four games. It's still unclear against whom the Bears were bidding when they signed Glennon for $45 million over three years.

They're on the hook for another $2.5 million if they cut Glennon after this season, which they will. He's still only 27 and could have a future in the league, but not as a starter.

WR Eddie Royal, 2015: He signed a three-year, $15 million and was cut this year after he had been paid the $10 million that was guaranteed. He missed seven games in 2015 and averaged just 6.4 yards on 37 catches. He wasn't much better in Year 2 with the Bears, catching 33 passes for 369 yards (11.2-yard average) while again missing seven games with injuries.

S Antrel Rolle, 2015: So much for signing a 32-year-old safety. He played seven games and made 45 tackles before ending up on injured reserve. Ironically, Rolle had only missed one game in the nine seasons before he became a Bear.

Touted as a veteran presence who always had made plays on the ball, Rolle had zero interceptions and 1 pass breakup. That one year cost the Bears the $4.9 million that was guaranteed in an $11.25 million, three-year deal.

CB Alan Ball, 2015: So much for signing a 30-year-old cornerback. Ball made $3 million on a one-year deal with the Bears. He started three games and had 20 tackles and 5 pass breakups.

OLB Pernell McPhee, 2015: You can't call McPhee a bust, but he has not come close to the expectations of a $38.75 million, five-year deal as the marquee acquisition of Pace's first year. While battling chronic knee problems, he has flashed pass-rush prowess, and he's a strong locker-room presence.

McPhee had 6 sacks in 14 games in 2015, 4 sacks in nine games in 2016 and 4 this season. McPhee has played every game this season, but his snaps are restricted to keep him on the field. He has 18 tackles in 10 games.

WR Markus Wheaton, 2017: The former Steeler still could pay off on the $11 million, two-year deal he agreed to this year that included $6 million guaranteed. But to date he has 1 catch for 9 yards, partly because he has suffered a string of injuries. He has been back for the past two games but barely played.

TE Dion Sims, 2017: For their $18 million over three years, including $10 million guaranteed, the Bears haven't received much in return. Sims had just 9 catches for 113 yards before a mysterious illness sidelined him the past two weeks. He's questionable this week.

Coming up short:

LB Jerrell Freeman, 2016: Very productive when he has been on the field, but two PED suspensions is embarrassing to a team captain.

Freeman led the Bears in tackles in his first season, even though he was suspended four games. He still earned his keep in the first year of a three-year, $12 million contract by making 127 tackles and breaking up 5 passes. He had 10 tackles in the 2017 opener but suffered a torn chest muscle, which landed him on injured reserve, and then he had another positive PED test Oct. 30, earning a 10-game suspension, which cost him $2.5 million in salary.

Freeman also suffered a concussion in this year's season opener, which he says led to his failed test because of unnamed pills that he was taking for the aftereffects.

CB Tracy Porter, 2015 (waived free agent): Signed a one-year, $870,000, make-good contract, and he did. Rewarded with a $12 million, three-year deal for 2016. Played in all 16 games last year but not well enough to avoid being a salary-cap casualty in April after the Bears signed Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper in free agency.

Too soon to tell:

CB Marcus Cooper, 2017: Early returns on three-year, $16 million contract are disappointing. Lost starting job after four games because of a back injury and hasn't been able to win it back. Torched in last week's loss to Detroit Lions when given a few snaps.

S Quintin Demps, 2017: Played in just three games, all starts, before a fractured arm sent him to I.R., but he could return later in the season. Still has much to prove on a three-year, $13.5 million contract with $5 million guaranteed, and he will be 33 before next season.

CB Prince Amukamara, 2017: Missed first two games because of an ankle injury but worked his way into starting lineup by Game 5. No interceptions, continuing a career trend (7 picks in previous six years). On a one-year $7 million deal.

WR Kendall Wright 2017: Has 29 catches for 330 yards, about what you'd expect for a one-year, $2 million contract.

Pace's free agents

2017 (15 UFAs)Pos. Name

CB Prince Amukamara

C Taylor Boggs

FB Michael Burton (waived FA)

CB Marcus Cooper

OL Tom Compton

RB Benny Cunningham

S Quintin Demps

QB Mike Glennon

DL John Jenkins

QB Mark Sanchez

PK Cairo Santos

TE Dion Sims

OT Bradley Sowell

CB B.W. Webb

WR Markus Wheaton

WR Kendall Wright

2016 (7 UFAs)DB Omar Bolden

TE Daniel Brown (waived FA)

LB Jerrell Freeman

DL Akiem Hicks

OL Ted Larsen

OT Bobby Massie

TE Tony Moeaki

OL Josh Sitton (waived FA)

LB Danny Trevathan

2015 (14 UFAs)LB Sam Acho

CB Alan Ball

OL Vlad Ducasse

LB Mason Foster

LS Thomas Gafford

DL Jarvis Jenkins

S Sherrod Martin

LB Pernell McPhee

C Will Montgomery

TE Bear Pascoe

CB Tracy Porter (waived FA)

RB Jacquizz Rodgers

S Antrel Rolle

WR Eddie Royal

RB Daniel Thomas

DL Mitch Unrein (waived FA)

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