Five things we learned at Bears’ season-ending news conference

Quarterbacks, coordinators, rumors and injuries weren’t the only matters discussed when general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox closed out the 2016 season with a 45-minute news conference. Here are five more things we learned on Wednesday:

1. The Bears have money and salary-cap space to use in free agency, and it sounds as if they will possibly use some to improve the beleaguered secondary.

“We’re top five in cap space this year in free agency,” Pace said. “With that comes major, major responsibility.”

And the Bears have major needs, particularly in the secondary, after finishing with only 11 takeaways.

Chairman George McCaskey said that Pace won’t be limited financially.

“I honestly think we need to add more playmakers to our secondary,” Pace said. “We need to add more ball skills to our secondary. That’s on me, and we’ll do that.”

That doesn’t mean Pace will sign just anybody. He has been targeted in his approach to free agency, and that won’t change. This year’s draft also is considered strong for safeties and cornerbacks.

But safety, in particular, has been a long-standing problem. It might be best to address the position before the draft.

Adding a proven, playmaking veteran to go with their young players — Adrian Amos, Harold Jones-Quartey, Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson — would be an ideal scenario.

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2. Despite having his desire to return openly questioned by the coaches, cornerback Kyle Fuller might still have a future with the Bears. They need help at cornerback.

Pace said the “full expectation” was that Fuller would be activated from injured reserve by the conclusion of his three-week practice window. But it didn’t happen.

Pace stressed that Fuller only underwent routine arthroscopic surgery in the preseason to “clean up his knee.” But Fuller faced issues with strengthening the smaller muscles around his knee.

“You’ve got to have that twitch, that suddenness and that explosiveness [at cornerback],” Pace said. “He just didn’t feel like he had it, and we didn’t feel like he had it, either.”

Pace said Fuller’s offseason training is critical.

“I’m not giving up on Kyle Fuller,” Pace said. “He was a high draft pick by this organization, and it’s on us to do everything we can to get him playing back at a top level. You guys know it’s a position of need for us and getting him back where he can play would be huge for this organization.”

3. As wild as it sounds, the Bears seemingly opened the door for another position change for right guard Kyle Long.

Any switch, though, depends on what Hroniss Grasu, a college teammate of Long’s, can do after missing this season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Pace said he views Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, as a “center only,” and then specifically mentioned Cody Whitehair and Long as “flexible” players.

“We’ll see how it shakes out,” Pace said. “But if [Grasu is] back playing healthy at a starting level, [then it’s] get the best five on the field.”

Because of his size and athleticism, Long seemingly is a better fit for tackle than Whitehair. Long spent 2015 at right tackle before Bobby Massie was signed after the season.

But Long’s health comes first. Most of his offseason will be spent rehabbing after surgeries on his ankle and shoulder.

“That is in our minds,” Pace said. “[It’s] making sure we are handling it the right way and trying to reduce the situation where he is getting moved around too much because he is at his best when he is focused on one position. That’s an honest answer.”

4. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee might have his share of ailments to get over, but Pace has no regrets making him to his first big deal as GM.

McPhee, who was Pace’s first notable free-agent signing, got a five-year, $38.75 million deal, including $15.5 million guaranteed in March, 2015. Releasing McPhee wouldn’t hurt the salary-cap situation, but that’s not on Pace’s radar. He appreciates how hard McPhee worked to make himself matter this season after undergoing knee surgery last offseason and spending six games on the PUP list.

“There might not be a player I’m more proud of than Pernell,” Pace said. “It’s the way he’s responded from this injury and the changes he’s made, not just in the building but out of the building with his diet and his weight and his work ethic.”

McPhee said earlier this week that he’s strengthening his knee and improving his mobility is a priority this offseason. But he also has a shoulder injury to rehab, too.

“He’s going to overcome that,” Pace said. “He is worth the investment, and I hope to see that more next season.”

5. Don’t expect linebacker Danny Trevathan to be ready for training camp. He’s already a candidate for the PUP list.

There is no point in denying that Trevathan is facing a long recovery after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee. It could take nearly 12 months for Trevathan to feel like himself on the field. He suffered the injury Nov. 27 against the Titans.

“He’s been communicating with some other guys in the league that have had a similar injury and have come back from it and currently playing at a high level,” Pace said. “So we’re optimistic; he’s optimistic. He’s working hard.

“Honestly, it could be a situation where he misses a lot of the offseason [organized team activities], and we get to camp and we got to make the evaluation at that point. Is he ready to go? Is he a PUP guy? We have to make that decision then.”