The Chicago Bears are committed to Jay Cutler as their starting quarterback, but the longevity of that remains a question. At 32, no one knows how much longer Cutler will play good football which has the Bears thinking of the future. The team lacks a player on the roster that they can develop for the future which might end up being a priority in the NFL Draft. While Cutler understands that, he also wants offensive weapons and linemen to be a priority as well.
With the No.11 pick in the NFL Draft, the Bears will likely go to defense first. According to WindyCityGridiron.com, the Bears are meeting with potential stars like Reggie Ragland, Eric Striker and Jake Ganus at Senior Bowl practices with the idea of addressing the linebacker need first. That will fill a big need for the Bears while a quarterback could come as early as the second round.
According to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears will make a move for a quarterback during the draft. Cutler is coming back next season which is not a question, but his future is being doubted forcing the Bears to eye backup options. When asked about the idea of potentially bringing in his future replacement this offseason, Cutler was not opposed to the idea, but did not want it to be a focus.
"Twofold. One, I would say I get it, I totally get it. At some point it's going to happen," Cutler said, via the Chicago Tribune. "They're going to get somebody else. I'm not going to play until I'm 43. I understand that. But on the flipside, I'd be like, we really could have gotten somebody who can help me right now. So that would be my two reactions. If they do it, I will help whoever they bring in as much as I could and kind of see how it unfolds."
With Cutler, the Bears do not have to rush to take a quarterback. The third and fourth round could hold plenty of talent. Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg and Jake Coker will be sitting around and could be perfect quarterbacks to develop. They all have a similar skill set to Cutler which would be ideal for the Bears.
Cutler might not mind a quarterback being selected, but he also wants contracts to some of his biggest weapons to take priority. The Bears have two of their biggest playmakers on expiring contracts as Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery prepare for free agency. Out of the two, Jeffery is the more likely to return, but if Forte were to agree to a pay cut, he might be back as well. Cutler would ideally like to have the same offense back on the field while Kevin White returns from injury in 2016.
