Bears general manager Ryan Pace appeared on the WBBM 780 AM and 105.9 FM pre-game show in advance of Sunday's road game against the Baltimore Ravens. Here's a transcript of that interview:
On rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's first NFL start last Monday night against the Vikings:
"I think you see his poise and confidence. The moment isn't too big for him. I think he just went out there, cut loose, play football. The physical traits, they're easy to see; the accuracy, the ability to process, the athleticism. But what was encouraging for us was just how he handled himself in the huddle, how he handles himself on the sideline and then just how he responds when adversity hits."
On teammates being excited about what Trubisky can do:
"It just shows the team is confident in him, even as a young rookie. I think everyone understands that there's going to be a natural growth process. But he's an exciting player to play with."
On concern about repeated mistakes and lack of takeaways:
"I think we all recognize there are issues we need to correct and get better at. Our coaching staff continues to stress it, make it a priority. I mean you just point to last week and a close game against the Vikings. There are two turnovers on our end of the field and there are two holding penalties that really took away scoring opportunities, and obviously those four plays significantly hurt our chances to win. Those are beat-yourself plays that we've got to eliminate."
On pass rushers Akiem Hicks and Leonard Floyd:
"Both those players are playing at a high level right now. Akiem is doing a great job of playing with low pad level and just playing with high energy and when he's doing that he can be extremely difficult to block. And Leonard Floyd, I think he's really played well all year. The stats might not have showed it early, but you could see him progressing as a second-year player and that's huge for our team. It's about drafting and developing your players and I think Floyd's on that right path."
On rookie safety Eddie Jackson:
"Eddie's a naturally instinctive player. He's also a competitive guy. He's got a lot of natural leadership traits, too, for a young guy, which is good to see come out. We talk about takeaways, and we were talking about Leonard Floyd. Those sacks come along as long as he takes the coaching and keeps working and I think the same is true with Eddie in regards to interceptions. He's got the skill set to take the ball away. At some point it's going to show up."
On the opportunity Sunday for rookie receiver Tanner Gentry:
"He had a good preseason for us. He's practiced really well behind the scenes. He's gotten better and better at the things he needs to improve on. He's got really good hands. He wins contested battles. It's a golden opportunity for him to take advantage of."
On Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley:
"C.J.'s one of their better players, a former first-round pick. We think he's one of the better inside linebackers in the league, just a really well-rounded player. He was productive at Alabama. That's continued on now to Baltimore. I think what separates him from a lot of other inside linebackers in the league is his ability in pass coverage. He's got great athleticism. He's got really good range to excel in coverage. Last year he had four interceptions. That's a lot for an inside linebacker and it's because of those traits that he has."
