PACE BRACES FOR FREE-AGENT RACE

As market prepares to open, look at GM’s first go-round reveals hits, misses

Bears general manager Ryan Pace issued warnings about free agency at the NFL Scouting Combine. He called it ‘‘a risky area’’ and ‘‘dangerous water.’’ He said the Bears would be ‘‘mindful and strategic’’ and ‘‘smart and calculated.’’ So what does all that mean? The Bears are in a spot similar to where they were last offseason. Their numerous personnel issues won’t be solved in free agency— Pace wants to make that abundantly clear— but they will spend money.

Here’s a look at what Pace did in free agency last year and what his hits and misses might mean for this year: