Creative Quarterback Solution for the Chicago Bears
A creative solution to the Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation.
The Chicago Bears have obvious issues at the quarterback position. Jay Cutler is clearly not the guy, and the team simply must move on from him this off season. That being said, it is not like there are tons of franchise quarterbacks on the open market waiting to be claimed.
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The quarterback position is always among the most difficult to fill. It is the most important position in the game and finding a guy who can compete there is no easy task.
The Bears could go in many different directions at the quarterback position this off season. Trading for Jimmy Garoppolo would make sense, as would taking a signal caller with the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
I am a big fan of Garoppolo and think Deshaun Watson would be a fantastic choice at number three. However, there is obviously some serious risk involved with either transaction.
There has been a lot of Mike Glennon talk for the Bears in recent days. Glennon is a relatively young quarterback who has some decent upside, but is he really even a better option than Cutler? I would not be a huge fan of the Bears making Glennon their franchise quarterback in free agency.
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I strongly believe that trading for Garoppolo or selecting either Watson or Mitchell Trubisky is the best route for the Bears. However, if they want to go the low-cost route, they can do better than Glennon, who is probably not going to be cheap anyway.
A Better Option
If the Bears want to take a shot on a flawed free agent quarterback, Colin Kaepernick should be their guy. I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding Kaepernick, but there is no denying his talent. Kaepernick is far from a perfect quarterback, but he is an extremely athletic player with a big arm. With the right help around him, Kaepernick can succeed in the NFL. We have seen him to it before.
I do not think that most realize how good Kaepernick was for the San Francisco 49ers last season. In 12 games (11 starts), Kaepernick completed 59% of his passes for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also ran the ball 69 times for 468 yards and two touchdowns. Simply put, Kaepernick was a playmaker at the quarterback position and he protected the ball extremely well. And he did it with arguably the worst supporting cast in the NFL.
Kaepernick is a talented quarterback who can have success in the NFL. The biggest key to him have success under center is having a strong rushing attack. With Jordan Howard and one of the best interior offensive lines in the NFL, the Bears expect to have a strong rushing attack in 2017. Kaepernick could be just the guy who could get the most out of this offense.
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At only 29-years-old, Kaepernick does have some nice long-term upside. However, the Bears should not completely hitch their wagon to him. His downside is very real as well. If the Bears snag Kaepernick in free agency, I would like to see them pair him with a talented rookie quarterback.
Taking Watson or Trubisky with the third overall pick may be overkill, but the Bears should look to address the position in the middle rounds.
Rookie to Pair Him With
Nate Peterman is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the 2017 NFL Draft class. He is always going to be a guy who I pound the table for. Peterman has an underrated skill-set and his intangibles are off the charts. Selecting Peterman in the third or fourth round to pair with Kaepernick would be a strong plan of attack for the Bears.
Kaepernick would be the guy in 2017, but Peterman is a pro-ready signal caller who could step up and grow into the role quickly. I could also see quarterbacks like Brad Kaaya and Jerod Evans being specific targets who would make sense in a similar capacity. Personally, I am a big fan of Peterman’s game but could understand Kaaya or Evans playing the rookie quarterback role as well.
I am not saying that this is the best plan of attack for the Chicago Bears this off season. Spending those resources to land Garoppolo, Watson or Trubisky would be the best option for this team. However, shooting for upside with Kaepernick and a mid-round rookie would make much for sense than giving Mike Glennon a big free agent contract.
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Filling the quarterback position is extremely difficult. With this possible plan of attack, the Chicago Bears get two cracks at upside at the position without giving up anything too valuable. Maybe not the best option, but it could certainly be worse.