The Chicago Bears want a quarterback. Scratch that. The Chicago Bears need a quarterback. Everybody has known this for decades now. Every major move they’ve tried seems to backfire on them. Since 1982, the franchise has invested eight 1st round draft picks in the quarterback position. They’ve got just two Pro Bowl appearances total to show for it. Neither of which was truly deserved.
The desperation in the fanbase is palpable. When is it going to be their turn? Truth be told it’s hard to say. While there are some interesting names being thrown around the rumor mill, none of them seem within any sort of reasonable reach. Deshaun Watson is going to be ultra-expensive and isn’t even available at the moment. Dak Prescott is likely to play at least one more year in Dallas. Derek Carr is interesting but the Raiders are playing hardball.
Presuming none of those situations change?
Chicago appears to be in a rough position. Their remaining options aren’t ideal. Sam Darnold? Marcus Mariota? Jameis Winston? None of those names inspire any sort of confidence things would be better next season. Worse still, they sit at the 20th pick in the NFL draft. Well out of position for any of the top three or four quarterback prospects to reach them. Even the fifth-best might not even make it that far.
This puts GM Ryan Pace in a tough spot. Does he give up a sizable package to trade for an unproven commodity? That is quite possible. The Bears seem intent on making some sort of splash at quarterback this offseason. However, there is an argument to be made that they should consider a different approach. One that shifts the focus away from the king and more to the rest of the board.
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Chicago Bears should seriously ponder beefing up the offense
Rather than focus their resources on one big swing at quarterback, why not take a different approach? Settle for a calculated risk on the cheap and pool the limited money and draft picks available into bulking up the offensive roster. That means more talent along the offensive line, running back, tight end, and wide receiver. Improve the arsenal and the front wall. This might enable their cheap veteran to perform above his usual level and keep the team competitive for a year.
Then comes the important part. What I call “baiting the hook.” Suddenly going into 2022, the Chicago Bears look like a far more attractive destination for quarterbacks. Prescott could be a free agent going into that offseason. There is no telling who might be available via trade. Or they could be better prepared to take a swing in the draft. QBs may want to come to Chicago. Think of what happened with Tampa Bay this past year.
They built a great offensive foundation and then lured in Tom Brady.
Now they’re Super Bowl champions. The same happened for the Denver Broncos in 2012. They stockpiled some serious weapons, built a steady offensive line, and were able to convince Peyton Manning to sign on. There are serious benefits to placing a significant focus on building the entire offense rather than pooling resources to chase a quarterback.
Think about it. Say the Bears keep Allen Robinson and manage to grab JuJu Smith-Schuster or Will Fuller in free agency. Then they use their early draft picks to bolster the offensive line. Then it’s a matter of finding a decent veteran. Maybe they keep Nick Foles or take fliers on Ryan Fitzpatrick or Gardner Minshew. Both of whom have played well in the past and would be cheap.
Is it ideal? No. Yet it might be the most sensible thing to do given their current circumstances.
