Bears, Cutler both deserve fresh starts
But don’t expect team to reach for QB in draft
@BearzzzGirl: Is it finally time to move on from Jay Cutler??
Yes, it is, for the sake of both parties. It’s time for the Bears to start over at quarterback. No doubt the Bears could do a lot worse than Cutler, but after eight years, it’s clear they also can do a lot better. Cutler has had plenty of tough sledding in Chicago, but he hasn’t been able to max out when he has had the wind at his back. It’s time for Ryan Pace to spread his GM wings and find his Drew Brees.
Cutler also deserves a fresh start and a chance to find prime conditions— preferably an established, playoffcontending team with a solid defense— to take full advantagetage of the maturity he has at 33 that he didn’t have at 26.
@aguzman1969: Do you see Cutler signing again consideringg no qb coming out of college [ is] worth a top pick. Bears should take the best athlete.
For the record, Cutler is signed for the next four seasons. But the money is not guaranteed, which allows the Bears to cut him or trade him with a manageable “dead money” cap hit of $ 2 million next season. It’s too early to tell if there’s a college player worthy of a top- five pick. Many but not all mock drafts have a quarterback— DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky— going in the top five. The Bears still need so much help that they’re more likely to take the best player/ athlete with a top- five pick thantha reach for a quarterback.
@kerryswear: Why can’tca Barkley be future QB if he keeps this up? Best HS QB, USC QB. Then injury. What if [ he’s] healed and ready to roll?
It’s difficult to judge what Barkley’sBark two starts say abouta what kind of quarterback he can be. He has faced two a substandard defenses ( Titans a and 49ers) but has beenbee effective in an offense that is missing Alshon Jeffery, Zach Miller, Kevin White, Josh Sitton and Kyle Long. All that does right now is keep him in contention for a chance to be in training camp next year and compete for a job with Connor Shaw, Brian Hoyer, a draft pick and maybe a free- agent/ trade acquisition.
@zevyr: Does every team defer after the coin toss now? Seems that way. How does it compare to the recent past?
Through Week 13, 81.6 percent ( 155 of 190) of teams that won the coin toss deferred the kick/ receive choice. That’s actually down from a high of 82.5 percent last season but a big jump from recent seasons. It was at 7.8 percent in 2008, when the rule was changed to allow teams to defer, 41 percent in 2011 and 68 percent in 2014.
@jtbcubs: Do the Bears spend on 1- 2 big ticket items in FA with Pace and Fox facing a critical 3rd year assuming no changes?
Pace is committed to building through the draft, and he’s more likely to stay that course than make a panicky move even after a disappointing second season. If there’s a proven Pro Bowl- caliber offensive tackle or safety available, that might be a possible splurge, but the Bears have young players they hope to develop at most key positions. With three draft classes under his belt, growth from within will be a bigger mantra than getting a boost from multiple big free- agent signings.