Chicago Bears Preseason Preview: Quarterbacks
Published by Bryan Dietzler on June 23, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
It’s finally that time of year again.
Time to take a look at the positions on the Bears and see how they look as they head into training camp towards the end of July.
Many fans are expecting big things out of the Bears now that they appear to have filled a lot of holes and have the players and coaching staff to make a much bigger splash than they did in 2009.
Speaking of 2009, as the team headed into the season, hopes were high, thanks to the acquisition of former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. Fans hoped he would finally bring the Bears back into the playoffs.
However, thanks to his pension to take risks, and the lack of experience in the Bears’ wide receiver corps, Cutler ended up throwing a ton of interceptions and helped take the Bears out of games much more than he helped keep them in (and win them).
So will all of this change in 2010?
The answer is a resounding yes.
The Bears brought in offensive coordinator Mike Martz to help improve their offense, and even though some have struggled with the kind of offense that Martz puts forth, he has never had the kind of quarterback that he has with Cutler (you could argue that Kurt Warner is the best quarterback that he has had, but he doesn’t have the arm or the intangibles that Cutler has).
So, with Cutler and his receivers playing better this season, he could have a huge season. He just has to curb the mistakes and get good protection from his offensive line. Granted, that is a lot to ask but it’s not impossible and the Bears could be on their way up.
Will there be a battle for the number two spot in training camp this summer?
You can bet on it.
Both Caleb Hanie, the veteran backup who has very little experience, and the rookie Dan LeFevour will battle it out for the number two spot this summer, as long as the Bears don’t bring in any veterans at the position.
So who has the edge?
Right now it’s hard to tell.
LeFevour has a lot of intangibles and the Bears didn’t draft him to cut him. They obviously saw something in him that got them to spend a sixth round pick on him, so he’s going to be around for a little while.
Hanie hasn’t seen a lot of time under center in regular season games, but when it comes to playing in the preseason, Hanie has been very good. But just how good would he be if he got thrown into a regular season game following an injury to Cutler?
The Bears would be in world of trouble if Cutler got hurt, so the Bears may want to ensure that whoever competes for number two would be at least a little game ready.
Who would be game ready?
Hanie would be the Bears best bet for being game ready in that situation.
So look for a battle for the second quarterback spot to develop during training camp and it should be an interesting battle to watch.
Things are looking up at the quarterback position heading into the 2010 season, and as long as the new system can be learned, and both Cutler and his receivers are on the same page, it could be a big year.
Keeping Cutler upright and healthy will be huge, so all parts of the offense need to be working well in order for this to be a successful year for Cutler.
If Cutler ends up getting hurt then the Bears will have a serious problem at the position.
Unless they sign a veteran quarterback, they will have just Hanie and LeFevour in there to play, and that could spell disaster for the Bears when it’s all said and done.
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