Chicago Bears Crystal Ball: The Jay Cutler Edition

Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears Jay Cutler (6) looks to pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Pace, to the surprise of many is now the GM of the Chicago Bears and his first two priorities are finding a head coach and then deciding the fate of quarterback Jay Cutler.  Rest assured, the decision on one is likely to impact the other.  So based on that assumption, here are the scenarios fans can expect to happen.

Pace Keeps Cutler

Likely Coaching Hires:

• Mike Shanahan
• Gary Kubiak
• Todd Bowles

Keeping Cutler seems like the prevailing idea at this point just due to the fact that the Bears still owe him so much money.  No team will want to trade for him and cutting him would hurt more than shipping him out.  So they do their best to make it work for one more year and if it doesn’t, then they drop the ax in 2016 when it’s more cost-effective.

If Cutler is the guy, then Pace will want to put a head coach in charge who not only can get the most from the team but knows how to craft a game plan around maximizing Jay’s skills.  Mike Shanahan already did that when he and Cutler were together in Denver.  He’s experienced and features an offense built around a strong running game.  The same can be said for Gary Kubiak, who was head coach for some good teams in Houston and was a disciple of Shanahan’s in Denver.

As for Todd Bowles, he would represent the opposite route to helping Cutler, which is improving the defense as rapidly as possible.  He has a reputation for getting the most out of his defenses, regardless of talent.  The thinking would be if Cutler has a defense he knows he can trust, then he would be able to function much better and thus win more games.

Pace Ditches Cutler

Likely Coaching Hires:

• Adam Gase
• David Shaw
• Hue Jackson

These three coaches all have something in common:  they are offensive-minded, they have reputations for developing quarterbacks and they’re young.  If Cutler is not in the picture then in all likelihood it means Ryan Pace plans to seek out an option via the draft, which would require a head coach he can grow with.  Adam Gase is 36-years old, David Shaw is 42 and Hue Jackson is the elder of the group at 49.

Gase has done an excellent job in Denver working alongside Peyton Manning.  Shaw oversaw the development of Andrew Luck at Stanford and has significant NFL experience as an assistant.  Jackson has kicked around college and the pros for years, preparing Carson Palmer at USC, molding Joe Flacco in Baltimore and taking over the watch of Andy Dalton in Cincinnati.  His lone opportunity at a head coaching job ended after an 8-8 season in Oakland.

All of these coaches have the experience, knowledge and patience to pick their own quarterback and bring him up properly.

Whichever one Pace decides to take will tell a lot about the future of the Chicago Bears and their quarterback.