Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on May 26, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The most important player on a football field is the quarterback, and in order for the Chicago Bears to be successful in 2015, they are going to need consistent production from the position.

The Bears relied heavily on the passing game the last two seasons with Marc Trestman as the team’s head coach, but the offense struggled, and Trestman was eventually fired this offseason.

The team hired John Fox to take over as head coach in January, and he wants to take some of the pressure off of the quarterback this season.

“Football-wise, there are things you can do in coaching to minimize some of the exposure,” Fox said, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. “Playing defense (and) playing complementary football is going to be something that helps.”

Even if the Bears decide to lean on their running game this season under new offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the quarterback will remain the team’s most important player, and Chicago will head into 2015 with a familiar face under center.

The Starter

Following an injury-riddled 2013 campaign, Jay Cutler signed a seven-year, $126.7 million deal in early 2014 and firmly entrenched himself as the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Last year he started 15 games and threw for 3,812 yards with a career-high 28 touchdowns, but he threw 18 interceptions and fumbled 12 times.

Trestman’s West Coast offense gave Cutler the ability to check out of plays at the line of scrimmage, but Gase plans to limit some of Cutler’s control in his offense. 

“He’s worked with a couple different guys; the good thing is, he’s heard a few things that I say,” Gase said, according to CSNChicago.com’s John Mullin. “He’ll look at me and kind of, ‘That’s a little Martz’ist right there.’”

Cutler calling something “Martz’ist” is in reference to former offensive coordinator Mike Martz, and Martz’s philosophy could help the much-maligned quarterback in 2015.

“The Martz reference likely wasn’t about Gase implementing a plethora of no-help, seven-step drop, all-vertical plays,” wrote Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “Rather it was a call back to the strict limitations that offense put on the quarterback, taking some of the decision-making out of the process. Since decision-making has been one of Cutler’s biggest weaknesses, that could be a good thing.”

Cutler will not be relegated to simply being a game manager at the quarterback position this season, but his freedom to audible and adjust plays on the fly will likely be limited. If the Bears lean on the running game this season, it should help open up the passing game for Cutler and his new weapons on offense. 

The Bears traded former Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets this offseason, but they added veteran slot receiver Eddie Royal in free agency and drafted West Virginia’s Kevin White in the first round to play alongside fourth-year man Alshon Jeffery. 

The former Vanderbilt product will likely continue to have his ups and downs, but Gase’s system appears to be a good fit for a quarterback who has struggled with his decision-making in the past.

Cutler is undoubtedly the starter in 2015, but if he gets hurt during the season, the team will have to rely on an unproven veteran backup to help keep the team afloat.

The Backup

After signing with the Bears in the middle of the 2014 offseason, Jimmy Clausen beat out Jordan Palmer in training camp to be the team’s No. 2 quarterback last season.

He appeared in three games early in the season during blowout losses, but he was eventually named the starter for Chicago’s matchup with the Detroit Lions in Week 16.

“I think we need a lift at quarterback,” Trestman said of the decision, per Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. “I think we need a spark. The weight of the world should not be on Jimmy Clausen. He’s going to get an opportunity to play and I’m hoping that our team, against a very very good defense, we all know that, they’ll be some response from our football team.” 

He completed 23 of his 39 pass attempts for 181 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but the Bears lost to the Lions 20-14. Clausen was ruled out for the final game of the season due to a concussion, and Cutler reclaimed his role as the starter. 

Even though the Bears moved on from Trestman, the new regime liked what they saw from Clausen and signed him to a one-year, $1.125 million deal this past March. 

“Obviously, if I didn’t like what they envisioned for me and the offense, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Clausen said, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I like what they have planned for us moving forward, and I’m really excited about this upcoming season.”

Clausen was selected by Carolina in the second round of the 2010 draft when Fox was the head coach of the Panthers, and Fox is looking forward to working with his former quarterback in Chicago.

“I’ve seen him develop,” Fox said, according to Finley. “You know I’ve seen him grow, even personally and, you know, that’s what we do. Hopefully as we age we grow up some. So I’ve seen him grow as a football player and as a man—and I’m excited to work with him.”

Clausen played in 13 games his rookie season but threw for just 1,558 yards with three touchdowns and nine interceptions. Fox was fired after the season, and the Panthers selected quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 pick in 2011. 

The former Notre Dame star spent the next two seasons as Carolina’s third-string quarterback before he was waived and subsequently placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He does not possess a strong arm, but he is an accurate quarterback who is at his best in the short-to-intermediate passing game.

He will not wow anyone with his ability to push the football down the field, but he is a serviceable backup quarterback who can fill in for Cutler in a pinch.

While Cutler and Clausen have a firm grasp on the top two spots on the depth chart at quarterback, the No. 3 quarterback position is wide open heading into training camp.

No. 3 Quarterback

Most NFL teams only carry two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but David Fales, Shane Carden and Pat Devlin will all be competing to be the team’s No. 3 quarterback this offseason.

A strong showing this offseason from one of the those three could force the Bears to carry three quarterbacks this season, but Fales, Carden and Devlin are more than likely competing for a spot on the practice squad.

Fales was drafted in the sixth round last year by the Bears out of San Jose State, but the former Spartans quarterback spent the majority of his rookie season on the team’s practice squad. He was a good fit in Trestman’s West Coast offense because of his accuracy, but he lacks ideal arm strength for the position.

He could eventually win the No. 3 spot this offseason, but since Chicago’s new regime does not have any ties to him, it will be difficult for Fales to beat out both Carden and Devlin.

Earlier this offseason, general manager Ryan Pace outlined how he wanted to address the quarterback position in the draft.

“It’s a good idea to add a quarterback every year,” Pace said in late March, according to Campbell. “You can take a swing every year at it and increase your odds.” 

Even though the Bears did not add a quarterback in the draft, they did sign Carden as an undrafted free agent. 

Carden threw for 11,991 yards with 86 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons at East Carolina, but he does not have a strong arm and needs to improve his mechanics. Despite his shortcomings, Carden received high praise from his former offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.

“There are a lot of guys playing very well in the NFL who don’t have that elite arm,” said Riley, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “This guy has unbelievable accuracy and unbelievable touch, which I think is more important than arm strength and most importantly, he knows where to go with the ball.”

He will need to work on his mechanics this offseason with quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains, and he appears to be a prime candidate for the practice squad. 

Devlin participated in the team’s rookie minicamp and signed a one-year deal with earlier this month. He spent the first three years of his career with the Miami Dolphins after going undrafted in 2011 and had a stint with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason.

He is an accurate passer on short throws, but he struggles with deep passes and does not always use the best mechanics or footwork. He will need an outstanding training camp and preseason in order to beat out both Fales and Carden for the No. 3 quarterback spot.

Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.

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