The Chicago Bears Draft Problem: Jay Cutler Or Defense?
By Erik Lambert
Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) walks off the field after being defeated by Detroit Lions 34-17 at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
It’s going to take more work before the Chicago Bears are truly a threat to the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the NFC North. The big question is where do they need to improve the most. By all accounts there are two areas that command the most attention. Either they continue to rebuild what has been an aging and mishandled defense or they admit to making a mistake and replace quarterback Jay Cutler under center.
Defense
There is no beating around the bush here. For the second-straight season the Bears defense has sunk to near-historic levels. They rank 30th in the NFL in both passing yards and points allowed and have given up at least 30 points in five of their seven losses, including two games of 50+. Many blame coordinator Mel Tucker for the problems, which is fair but it will take more than replacing him to get things fixed. They simply need more young talent whether it be a true pass rusher like Shane Ray of Missouri, a legitimate safety like Landon Collins or a young playmaker at linebacker like Shaq Thompson.
Any of those options would make a big difference, especially if a better coordinator is found.
Cutler
Then there is the one issue the Chicago Bears can’t ignore. Despite a healthy investment in the form of a seven-year contract worth $126 million, an offensive head coach in Marc Trestman and a wealth of talent around him; Jay Cutler is not living up to his promise. He stands to finish 2014 with the best stat line of his Bears career but it could come at the cost of him again leading the NFL in turnovers. He has 20 with four games left to play. It’s something the team has lived with for too long and is proving detrimental to their ability to win games more than ever.
That is why shouts are growing louder for them to trade the 31-year old and start fresh with somebody new. It’s been over ten years since the Bears took a quarterback in the 1st round of the NFL draft. Maybe giving head coach Marc Trestman his own choice of options like a Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston or Connor Cook instead of saddling him with Cutler may be the ticket to the offense achieving its potential.