An Early Look at Possible Quarterback Solutions for the Chicago Bears

Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler looks on after the game against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field. Redskins won 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016 NFL season has ended and the Chicago Bears can now sit back and start to try to piece together a winner. We should remember that it all starts with a quarterback. If you don’t have a good one you won’t be getting far.

The Chicago Bears have a long history of struggling at the quarterback position. While most teams have had a “franchise quarterback” at one point, the Bears have gone without one for several years. Some feel their last star quarterback was Sid Luckman and he played back in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Others think that Super Bowl XX starter Jim McMahon has been their last good signal caller. Many feel that one has been able to live up to his ability since he left Chicago.

In 2009, the Bears traded several draft picks and one player to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler. Cutler has spent several years with the Bears dealing with new head coaches, new offensive coordinators and other problems. There are some who believe that Cutler had not fault in not having great success with the Bears while there are others who feel he is to blame for the Bears problems at quarterback the last few seasons.

The Bears are at a bit crossroads at the quarterback position heading into this off-season. They have Cutler, who no longer has any more guaranteed money to be paid out on his contract. Then they have Matt Barkley who was ok to start but has since fallen off considerable. Then there is Brian Hoyer and Connor Shaw, both on injured reserve.

Is the Bear’s 2017 starter already on the team? Or could the starter be sitting on the roster of another NFL team? Or perhaps their future quarterback is still in college and is ready to join them not only as a new team member but a new member of the NFL.

The news and social media has been full of possibilities for the Bears quarterback of the future. This writer has decided to analyze some of the top possibilities for the Bears this off-season. Some may be closer to reality than we think. Let’s see what move(s) might be the best and the most realistic for the Bears this off-season and which one could get them to the point that they are a contender again.

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) celebrates the touchdown scored by running back Wayne Gallman (9) against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the the 2016 CFP semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If you have been watching any of the bowl games or college football in general, you may have seen some of the top quarterbacks in the country showcasing their talents. It is also possible you may have seen the Bears’ future quarterback. Chicago going to have a high draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (number three overall) and could have their pick of one of the top three rated college quarterbacks.

Who are the top three college quarterbacks coming out in the draft next year? An aggregate of NFL Draft experts and reviews by this writer have North Carolinas Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s DeShaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer as the top three. But further evaluation needs to be done. That’s not to say that all three will be selected in the first round but right now, they appear to be the top three guys.

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Should the Bears take one of these guys early in the first round or trade down and get one that’s left in the middle of the first? Could they even let these guys slip by them and get a quarterback in the second or third round? Anything is possible but the Bears need to step lightly and carefully in the draft if they select a quarterback. It’s very tricky business.

I have written about how the Bears should wait to take a quarterback until either the middle of the first round or the second or third round. With such a high draft pick, trading down and getting additional picks would be a very wise because the Bears could use the talent. Then, maybe, the Bears could try to get their quarterback in the middle of the first, the second or third rounds of the draft.

With a first round quarterback, it’s possible that player could start right away while with second or third round players, the chances of starting decrease. The Bears must decide what they want to do. They could have a starter, possibly, or someone who could sit and learn from a starter.

But if they draft a quarterback to “groom” and learn behind someone, who will be their starter?

Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) lays on the field after a late hit by New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon (54, not pictured) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

To keep or not to keep Cutler, that is the question. This has been the most hotly debated issue of the season for Bears fans. No matter who you talk to you can’t get everyone to agree on whether Cutler should stay or if he should get traded or cut. The debates about Cutler can cause endless arguments as fans are very passionate about what he has done for the team and his future.

Cutler has not been the quarterback that many thought he would be. He does make mistakes at critical times, has been injured often and seems to struggle at times. On the flip side, he has had some stellar wins for the Bears, made some great plays and has done some good things.

But some people will argue (and it’s a good argument) that Cutler has had to endure so much while he was with the Bears. Some of what he had to go through, that he couldn’t control, included changes in the offensive line and changes at offensive coordinator spot. He also didn’t have solid wide receivers and had to go through head coaching changes.

So perhaps some of what Cutler wasn’t able to do was on him and not on him. Either way, Cutler’s tenure in Chicago was not a productive one and the Bears are not much better off.

The Bears have been silent regarding what they are plan to do with Cutler this offseason. There are many that feel that they are going to try to trade him and get some draft picks. Others feel that they could retain him for another season, draft a future starter and let this starter develop behind him.

Consider what the Bears are going to do with Cutler undecided. It might be beneficial to see him back for one more season teaching a younger quarterback the ropes. But if they can trade him and get some additional draft picks that might be much better. Consider this a huge flash point for the Bears this off-season.

Dec 24, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) directs the offense during the second half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots have come out and told the rest of the league what they want for backup Jimmy Garoppolo. They want a first round and a fourth-round pick and this can be considered steep. This for a guy who has played in just 12 games in three years with two starts (he won both of those starts). He only has 91 passing attempts in the league. That is it.

Then you have Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ backup quarterback Mike Glennon. Like Garoppolo, Glennon doesn’t have that much NFL starting experience but seems to attract attention from other teams. Over his three-year career, he has played in 21 games with 18 starts. He had successful statistical campaigns in 2013 and 2014 but has been on the bench ever since.

For Garoppolo, it’s hard to imagine anyone paying that price for an untested quarterback. He has only won two games in the NFL so how can anyone seriously give up that much for someone who hasn’t hardly played? He will never go for a first and a fourth rounder. The Bears might as well not even waste their time trying to get him to Chicago. The price is too steep and if it was negotiable, it can be assured that the Patriots would not take anything less than what would give them much more than what they deserve for Garoppolo. And the Bears could be tricked into paying a high price.

Glennon has more starts and more experience but hasn’t played much since Jamies Winston took over. He would most likely go for less than Garoppolo but do the Bears really want someone who has less experience than Brian Hoyer or Cutler? Glennon is still somewhat untested and untried. If Chicago was to bring him in, they might be bringing in someone on the same talent level as the guys they already have on the roster (the backups). Do they need another one of those guys?

In the end, Garoppolo is too inexperienced and commands too high of a price. The Bears shouldn’t even waste their time looking at him. Glennon is interesting but they have guys like him on their roster that already know the system. It’s best to let him alone and concentrate on other solutions.

Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) passes against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past couple of months, members of the media and social media, have been buzzing with speculation on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. They think that there is a possibility that the Bears could end up being the future home of Romo. This, if Dallas decides to trade him during the offseason. The emergence of rookie Dak Prescott has kept Romo on the bench for almost the entire season and the Cowboys may trade him to get something out of him.

The problem with Romo is that he is perpetually injured. He has had back problems for several seasons and is one sack away from landing on injured reserve. The Bears already have other players like that and don’t need another one. And what has Romo proven in his career? He does well in the regular season but when he gets to the post-season, he can’t win. He would also probably command a high price. Would Chicago be willing to give up a lot to have him?

Tyrod Taylor is a like Romo in some ways. Taylor has been in the league since 2011 and just finally earned regular playing time in 2015. He has not had a full season as a starter due to injuries and has not been strong statistically. In fact, he has regressed from last season, statistically (he has played one fewer game in 2016 than he did in 2015). Give credit to the poor play of the Bill’s offense but Taylor has had a hand in it.

It appears as if Buffalo is going to part ways with Taylor and some people on social media have been calling for the Bears to grab him. Once again, Taylor, like Romo, is not a playoff winning quarterback who has given his team a lot of wins. He is an injury risk. Do the Bears really need that?

But there is one thing to say about all of this. The Bears are not going to get a Super Bowl winning quarterback this offseason. There are none available, for one and if there were, the price would be much higher than the Bears are willing to pay. Even though Romo and Taylor aren’t playoff winning quarterback and have missed several starts in their career, who’s to say a change of scenery wouldn’t do them good?

Could coming to Chicago give either Romo or Taylor a fresh start in their careers? Would the Bears even pay the price to bring one of them in? Or, they could feel that they are too risky to get and look in another direction?

Jan 1, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) forces a fumble on Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Barkley (12) during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

All four of these backup quarterbacks are going to be out of their contracts this offseason. So, the Bears have two things to look at here. One is whether to bring one, two, three or all four of them back on a deal. The second is to decide if any of them could be their starter or a backup for another starter including Cutler.

Shaw went out late in preseason and sat on injured reserve. While he has a lot of promise, he is untested and needs some game work. In his career, he has played in just one game with one start. Is he a potential starter in the NFL? Probably not but it’s possible he could be a good backup.

The situation surrounding Hoyer is a little confusing. He played well when he started in 2016 and limited his mistakes. But he wasn’t a “gunslinger” and didn’t do much in terms of helping the team win (he did have one win against Detroit). Some say he appeared tentative while it could be possible the coaching staff handcuffed him and didn’t let him do much. That would have made him appear to be limited in his starts.

Hoyer broke his arm against the Packers and has been out ever since. He will be healthy but will the Bears bring him back for another shot at making the roster next season?