Should Bears Move on Cutler

While the Bronco quarterback is an attractive talent, we first have to look at what it would cost us to bring him to Chicago.

After not being able to get Matt Cassel, the Broncos have since stated that they have no intention of dealing Cutler. No intention really meaning; “Unless we get a really good offer.”

With that in mind we have to analyze what the Bears have that the Broncos would want/need.

If they lose Jay Cutler then they have a hole at the QB position, meaning they would either need to trade for a good passer or a high draft pick, and the Bears have neither. So that means the Bears would have to offer elite defenders and/or several draft picks.

As it stands today the Bears have the 18^th, 49^th and 84^th overall picks in this year’s draft, with compensatory picks to be granted for later rounds.

It’s safe to say that the high-profile quarterbacks (Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, and Matthew Stafford) will be taken by then, so draft picks probably won’t appease the Broncos should they want to trade Cutler to the Bears. That leaves the only logical option being a talent swap.

The Broncos are anchored in the secondary by Champ Bailey, which means they would benefit most from a defensive lineman or blitzing linebacker. That puts Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Alex Brown and Adawale Ogunleye on the table among a few others.

The Bears have spent a lot of time and effort to build their defense the past few years. Players like Roach and Marcus Harrison have been pleasant surprises. A team that prides itself on defense can’t afford to lose depth at skill positions.

Meaning while members of the defense have under-performed over the past two seasons, they still possess the ability to excel in the Bears scheme.

The question I have is whether or not the Bears can afford to thin their defense to potentially bolster their offense?

Of course this is all speculation. With a new head coach, who knows where the Broncos want to start rebuilding their team.

Now that we’ve discussed the cost of acquiring Jay Cutler, let’s talk about what he’d bring to the table.

He’s a mobile passer with a big arm, but he’s also a gunslinger who takes a lot of chances. Without a veteran or elite wideout to throw it to, I’m not sure if he would fit in with Bears run-first scheme.

Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, while not elite wideouts, performed better than any receiver on the Bears squad.

It’s important not only to look at the passer, but also the personnel around him. (i.e. Kurt Warner; yes he’s had MVP and Super Bowl years, but look at the receivers he needs to accomplish that. The Cards have Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston while the Rams had Holt, Bruce, and Proehl.)

The Bears do however have two above average tight ends in Des Clark and Greg Olsen to throw to, as well as the speedy Devin Hester. Couple that with Matt Forte and Cutler could prove to be an asset if he could adjust to a more conservative offense.

I’ll say it straight, it’s a gamble. One that I don’t think the Bears should make. There are many other areas the Bears need to improve that require giving up much less. 

A complimentary running back, physical offensive lineman, and defensive backs are all much safer bets to better the Bears while costing much less.