Ryan Pace On Brandon Marshall: 'Football Needs To Be The No. 1 Priority'

(CBS) Following standout receiver Brandon Marshall's injury-plagued and drama-filled 2014 season, new Bears general manager Ryan Pace has made his expectations known under the new regime.

"I know this: Football needs to be the No. 1 priority," Pace said when asked about Marshall's off-the-field hubbub. "We'll win a lot of games if we keep football our No. 1 priority."

While still possessing some premier talent, Marshall's behavior has raised serious questions as to whether he's worth the trouble. Among other transgressions in 2014, he went on an impromptu locker room tirade after a loss to the Dolphins, challenged a Lions fan on Twitter to a boxing match and held a bizarre press conference -- apparently against the PR staff's wishes --  to address his troubled past with mental health problems.

Marshall also traveled to New York on many Tuesdays during the season to serve as an analyst on Showtime's "Inside the NFL."

Marshall's $7.5 million base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 12, assuming he's still on the roster.

The Bears have sat down this offseason with Marshall to talk, and they're evaluating him like everyone else on the roster, Pace said.

"There's a lot of things that happen with every NFL team," Pace said. "Obviously, those were things that occurred (with Marshall). We're analyzing that and researching those things. It's not just one player. There's a lot of things going on.

"We need to make our own decisions and our own judgments, and that's the process we're going through right way.

"The thing that takes time is getting to know these guys as individuals. This is unique when me and John (Fox) come in together. It's kind of a clean slate, start fresh.

"You have to identify, why has there been a lack of success? And we have to fix that."

Marshall had 61 catches for 721 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He suffered rib and lung injuries in a December game and missed the final three games.