Chicago Bears Week 4 Free Agent Stock Watch: Cutler Rising, Wright Falling
By Tooch
It’s not easy to take any positives out of the Bears 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but we’ll do our best as we take a look at the latest free agent stock watch:
RISING
Jay Cutler
No, I’m not going to argue that Cutler’s stock has risen due to his 300-yard game against the Lions. That stat did little to cover up his otherwise Rex Grossman-esque performance. Instead, I’ll argue that Cutler’s stock escalated last week due to Josh Freeman’s situation in Tampa Bay. That situation proves that the Bears simply cannot afford to let Cutler walk away at this point. They have no backup options at the position and they certainly won’t find a suitable replacement through free agency or trades, Freeman being the prime example of this. Quarterbacks are replaced through the draft these days and until the Bears can find a great prospect, Cutler will remain their guy. The Bears should know by now what they have in him as a player and cannot be surprised to see performances like Sunday’s pop up from time to time.
Robbie Gould
Gould was arguably the Bears most consistent player on Sunday, hitting on all three of his field goal attempts. It’s seemingly a no-brainer that the team will re-sign him and make him a Bear for life, but it’s also surprising that General Manager Phil Emery hasn’t already done so. The Bears know what they’re getting out of Gould — one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history and one of the veteran leaders on the team.
Eben Britton
This is a surprise entry into the list for this week. Britton saw the field on a few snaps during Sunday’s game as a sixth offensive lineman. It give the impression that it’s Britton, not fellow swing tackle Jonathan Scott, that the Bears will utilize should any starting lineman go down with injury. Britton cost the Bears just $715,000 for this season and could be the most affordable and reliable backup option to Jordan Mills, should the rookie tackle struggle during the rest of the season.