Ryan Pace's opportunity has arrived. Time to step forward and let 'em fly. Sometime around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the stick man at the NFL draft craps table will push the dice Pace's way. And at long last he'll make his first big roll as a general manager.
Just like that, with a blow into his fist and a side-armed toss, Pace will attempt to hit the jackpot, fully aware of the importance of capitalizing on the No. 7 pick.
Over the last three months, the Bears have pushed to reduce the gamble, filtering their exhaustive pre-draft research in a way that separates this year's sure things from the major risks.