When Brandon Marshall signed a new contract last season, it was assumed the wide receiver would finish out his career with the team. However, a down 2014 and a new coaching and front office regime suddenly have his future being put into question. The Bears need to improve quickly and with a trade of Jay Cutler likely going nowhere, the team must look at other options to free up space for big names to come in.
New head coach John Fox confirmed that there could be plenty of roster changes coming in 2015. Fox noted that the Bears were in the early process of evaluating Cutler and what his future holds while they also plan on doing what is best for the team in terms of a trade of Marshall.
"I think he's had great production," Fox said, via the Chicago Tribune. "I think he's a guy that's a big target. That helps you a lot in the red area, and he's done it in this league. We're trying to evaluate where everybody fits and how we best use them and, again, trying to put the best football team on the field. He's part of that process. I don't know if it's fair to give a full evaluation when I only took part of the test. We've still got more questions on the test, so we'll continue down that path and hopefully make the best decision for our football team."
New general manager Ryan Pace gave a similar answer stating that Marshall is a good player for the team, but must be evaluated in terms of where he fits best. If on the roster by March 12, Marshall is owed $7.5 million in guaranteed money. Running back Matt Forte is in a similar boat. The team would ideally like to get more cap friendly deals in place considering the contract to Cutler is holding them hostage.
Could affordable free agents and a strong draft class push the decision on Marshall one way or another? According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears like what they see in free agents along with rookies that could impact decisions for 2015. With Alshon Jeffery entering the final year of his contract, getting someone like Jeremy Maclin or Randall Cobb could be ideal. The Bears could also try and draft a talented rookie like Kevin White, Sammie Coates or DeVante Parker to develop for the future. Last year's wide receiver class made an immediate impact and if the Bears feel this year's class is similar, they might make a move.