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The Chicago Bears have quarterback Jay Cutler contracted through the year 2020, and after the season he had in 2015, the Bears have declared that they will build the offense around their current franchise quarterback. Cutler will be 33 years old next season, and has had a career of ups-and-downs since coming to Chicago in 2009, so it was a breath of fresh air to see Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains make strides in Cutler's game.
Cutler's mechanics were improved, his read progression was methodical, he climbed the pocket based on pressure, and played in a rhythm that we hadn't seen from him before. And he made good decisions with the football.
With that said, it's Draft season, and we know that Cutler won't be around for another 10 years. At what point do the Bears start looking for his potential replacement? Is there a quarterback in this year or next year's draft that could be his replacement? Or will the Bears acquire a free agent down the road (or make a trade) for someone already in the league?
General manager Ryan Pace and his team of scouts will certainly have a value placed on every college QB in the country, and are likely already looking at the underclassmen as well, but are there any QB's out there right now that really has their attention?
Dan Kadar has a few quarterbacks listed in his top-50 prospects for 2016 (LINK), and lays a claim as to why Jared Goff is the best at his position this year (LINK). If you want a list of QB's by rank this year, try this LINK.
It's also not too early to start looking at next year's prospects, which I'm sure Pace already has a file on. Walter Football has Cardale Jones (6'5, 250, Ohio State) graded out as their #2 (technically #1) prospect in 2017, and Brad Kaaya (6'4, 209, Miami) as their #3 (for now). Christian Hackenberg, the big 6'4, 234 pound gunslinger from Penn State, is listed as their top prospect in 2017, but he declared his intention to go pro this year. Their full list can be found HERE.
So the question for you is... Is there currently a 2016 or 2017 prospect that is currently on your radar that you think could be a viable replacement for Jay cutler down the road?