The Chicago Bears spoke with the Titans about a Jay Cutler trade, but the team was not interested in giving up Marcus Mariota and with him and Matt Forte not likely traded this offseason, names like Randy Gregory, Ameer Abdullah, Maxx Williams and Duke Johnson could be targets for the team after they picked Kevin White out of West Virginia.
The Bears picked White at number seven overall and now they have the chance to continue adding talent. According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Titans were "not interested" in a deal for Cutler and that meant that the Bears did not have much to offer for the number two pick, unless they gave up a number of high draft selections.
--UPDATE: The Bears have drafted Jeremy Langford
The team now can focus on the rest of the draft and there is a good chance that Cutler will not be traded, as the Titans were one of the main teams that needed a QB. Forte also came out to say that being away from the team during workouts was not about wanting to be traded and that he is happy with his contract situation.
John Fox and Ryan Pace have now added a top playmaker, as White had a big season as WVU and he can help replace Brandon Marshall. Last season White had 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns and he will be a nice duo with Alshon Jeffery. The team now has White, Jeffery along with Eddie Royal and Marquees Wilson and that is a solid amount of depth at the position.
The Bears were in the mix for Mariota and a trade with Jay Cutler or Matt Forte could have been an option to get the second pick. The Titans also had interest from the San Diego Chargers, NY Jets and Cleveland Browns in the former Oregon star. The Bears are coming into the offseason with a new regime in place and they could look at making some big changes after the draft.
While a Cutler trade is off the table, a deal with Martellus Bennett could be an option. According to Pro Football Talk, the team could target Maxx Williams and if that happens, Bennett could be traded. Randy Gregory is another potential target, as he is considered a first round talent, but he has slipped due to off the field issues.
Cutler's future has been speculated on since last season when he was benched for Jimmy Clausen and he could be a trade chip, but that is looking unlikely now. Before the draft, according to CBS Sports, the Bears interest in Mariota was "growing" and the team offered a trade with Cutler to get the number two pick in the draft.
Cutler was mentioned in trade rumors earlier in the offseason, but after John Fox came out and said he would be the starter in offseason workouts, the talk died down. The rumors continued to simmer, but also quieted once a deadline passed and part of Cutler's 2016 salary became guaranteed. Fox said the team is "moving forward" with Cutler as their quarterback.
Cutler has a massive contract and a large salary for the 2015 season. According to Adam Schefter at ESPN.com, the Bears were not the only team interested, as the San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets have all had interest in Mariota this offseason. The Chargers worked out Mariota along with the Jets and both were been mentioned in trade talk about the Titans pick.
