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With free agency and the NFL draft completed, the core of the Chicago Bears 2015 roster is in place. There may be an undrafted player who makes the team via mini-camp, like RB Senorise Perry did last year, or a free agent signing of a cap casualty late in the preseason, but for the most part the roster is in place. Over the next few weeks I will be breaking down the Bears depth chart at every position.
Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, so it seems like the obvious place to start my position breakdown. It’s been a controversial position for the Bears over the last few years with rumors about Cutler being replaced with Josh McCown in 2013, Cutler being benched for Jimmy Clausen in 2014, and the Bears new regime reportedly offering Cutler in a trade package for the #2 overall pick in this year’s draft. It’s been a crazy ride for Cutler as the Bears QB, but he is still atop the depth chart though this may be his last year in Chicago if he doesn’t improve in 2015
2015 Bears QB Depth Chart:
Starter
Jay Cutler:
I touched on the wild ride Cutler has had with the Bears so far, but with his hefty contract the Bears are stuck with him for better or worse. Cutler’s contract becomes less onerous after this season, making this truly a make or break season for Jay. On paper last year Cutler’s stats weren’t bad at all, but anyone who watched the Bears all year know that stats don’t tell the whole story.
Cutler finished 17th overall in QB rating with the most passing yards in his Bear career (3,812) and an acceptable 28 TD / 18 INT ratio. What makes those stats misleading is both the timing of his 18 interceptions, which always seemed to come at crucial moments, and his 6 lost fumbles which tied Andrew Luck for most in the league. Cutler’s combined 24 turnovers where the most in the league for any QB. Pro Bowl QB Andrew Luck was second with 22 total turnovers, but he threw 12 more TDs, just under 1,000 more yards, and his team made the AFC Championship game. The reason I bring up Luck, is that it’s possible for the Bears to win even with Cutler’s propensity for turnovers but he will need to improve his overall production for them to do so.
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The Bears will be on their 5th offensive coordinator in Cutler’s 7th year with the Bears, so it is unknown how he will fit in new OC Adam Gase’s offense. Despite all the griping about Cutler, he still has elite QB tools and the potential will always be there for the breakout season that Bears fans have been waiting for since the team traded two 1st rounders, a 3rd rounder, and Kyle Orton for Cutler back in 2009.
One reason for optimism over Cutler’s potential in 2015 is a more diversified WR corps. Last season the Bears had three redundant receiving options in Marshall, Jeffery, and Bennett. All three are talented, but similar players in that none of them were sharp route runners who could consistently get open. They were great at using their size to win jump balls, but too often Cutler was left scrambling for his life with no receivers open. I’m not blaming all of Cutler’s INTs on the receiving corps, but the lack of a “QB-friendly” option who could get open consistently made things more difficult for Cutler than they should be.
The additions of slot WR Eddie Royal and explosive rookie Kevin White (4.35 speed) should give Cutler two players who can get open more often than returning options Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Marques Wilson. This is the most balanced and diverse receiver group that Cutler has had in his Bears career and if he can’t make it work this year, then the Bears would be justified looking elsewhere at QB in 2016.