The Bernstein Brief: Bears' Ryan Pace Is Attached To No One
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Fresh eyes on the Bears' roster also means no loyalties, preconceptions or promises. At this stage of a rebuild, that's the whole point.
All first-year general manager Ryan Pace is trying to do is get his team back to winning a title, and if that means parting with familiar names or favorite sons, then so be it. The story surfacing Wednesday that he's listening to offers for Martellus Bennett tells us he could be looking to sell high on the productive tight end, adding picks or other assets.
The same goes for the passive-aggressive Matt Forte, who said he wasn't trying to make a point about his contract status by blowing off the team's Piccolo Award ceremony Tuesday, even when he hints that he was. If somebody has an offer for a heavily used back turning 30, Pace should listen.
And if the annual quarterback panic reaches levels feverish enough to induce feelers regarding Jay Cutler despite his onerous contract, move on that, too. Get on with it.
These aren't Pace's guys. Those began to arrive with some targeted veteran signings but will truly come when the draft starts tonight. Anybody attached to anything here should be ready to let go if need be, understanding that it didn't work.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
