The Chicago Bears are all in on trying to land a quarterback this offseason. It of course starts with Deshaun Watson who formally requested a trade from the Houston Texans. Expectations are GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy will do everything in their power to land some sort of upgrade at the position. Yet something must be understood. There is a real possibility the Bears come up empty.
After all, it already happened to them last year. They were deep in pursuit of guys like Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater last March. Both ended up signing with other teams. This forced the Bears to settle for Nick Foles. Now with Pace and Nagy on the hot seat, it may be even more difficult for them to land any of the desired options this time around like Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, or Matthew Stafford.
So what do they do if they swing and miss again?
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offered a possible glimpse into that plan. According to him, there are rumblings that the team might focus on fortifying the offensive line. This in an effort to maximize their running game behind David Montgomery and a returning Tarik Cohen next season. This would hopefully ease the burden on whoever their quarterback does end up being.
“Was that a signal the Bears perhaps want to do more to run the ball more effectively in 2021, especially if their options at quarterback might not be great? If that’s the case, we could see them making more moves on the offensive line than they did a year ago to bolster that group, maybe adding a tight end and another running back to complement David Montgomery and working to become a physical unit that can win in the trenches.”
The Bears have been meeting with running backs down at the Senior Bowl. So there is a distinct possibility they are considering this course of action. It’s not like it is Plan A of course. A quarterback is much preferred. However, Nagy understands his job hangs in the balance. He must have his offense prepared for any eventuality. That includes the embracing of old school football.
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Chicago Bears are wise to think this way
It may not be the ideal solution fans want. They’ve grown weary of constantly watching other teams thrive with top quarterbacks while they’re stuck with good running games and good defense but limited chances to make the playoffs. Yet this is the reality they’re in. Pace made sure of that when he flubbed that draft pick back in 2017, taking Mitch Trubisky over Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
If it’s going to be somebody like Nick Foles, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Gardner Minshew? Then they will need a strong offensive line and a stocked backfield to complement them. The Chicago Bears proved they can produce offensively with this approach, even if it goes against Nagy’s nature as a coach. Montgomery is a workhorse. If Cohen gets back to normal, that can be a capable tandem.
The Bears need to find more maulers though.
Their interior blocking should be secure with Cody Whitehair, James Daniels, Sam Mustipher, and Alex Bars all expected back. The big question marks will be at the tackle positions. Bobby Massie is a cap casualty option. Germain Ifedi and Jason Spriggs are free agents. It feels like this will be the perfect opportunity for the Bears to overhaul that position group. Something that is long overdue in retrospect.
If the QB pursuits come up empty, expect that area of the offense to be a big focus.
