From a Labor Day weekend trade in 2012 to signing one of the best defensive players of this generation just before the 2018 season began, the NFC North champion Bears were built by two GMs over the span of four head coaches.



But no one has more fingerprints on the 12-4 Bears than Ryan Pace.



In his first three seasons as GM, the Bears went 14-34. There were more free-agent mistakes than hits. Pace’s first draft pick hasn’t panned out. But in an eight-month span, from hiring Matt Nagy to trading for Khalil Mack, Pace pushed the right buttons to create a roster good enough to not only make the playoffs, but to possibly go on a Super Bowl run and be a contender for years to come.



Beginning with Sherrick McManis in 2012 and ending with Mack this past September, let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember the acquisition of every starter and notable coach to see how the 2018 Bears were built, from what was said about each key member when he...