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2017 Free Agent Quarterbacks: Could the Bears target anyone on this list?

The Bears will likely move on from Jay Cutler after 2016, so let’s take a look at other QB’s around the league that are due to be free agents.

By Dane Noble
NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears 2016 season is in a complete nosedive, and many fans are finally making peace with the fact that Jay Cutler won’t likely be in a Bears uniform beyond 2016. The Bears can cut him lose with a minimal cap hit, and can turn their attention to the future.

They have three options from what to do next:

  • Draft a quarterback
  • Sign a free agent
  • Make a trade

Quarterback prospects in the 2017 Draft are few, and we all know that’s a crap shoot anyways. While the Bears won’t likely be looking at the college ranks for their next franchise quarterback, they would need to look around the league at current pros.

Typically, teams don’t trade away high performers, but there are a few interesting options that could materialize. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we want to take a look at unrestricted free agent options for 2017.

From Spotrac:

We know Brian Hoyer won’t be the guy that Chicago would sign to be the starter, but they will likely look to re-sign him as a backup. He did as well as could be expected from a backup quarterback, and exceeded all expectations. Of course, his limitations were exposed, but he’s as good of a backup as the Bears will find in the league.

The next step is to look at the list and see if there are any long-term answers. If the Bears don’t think that one of these guys are their future franchise quarterback, then they will either sign one of them for a temporary tour of duty (one, maybe two seasons), or look to pull off a significant trade within the league.

Of the three options available, we’re not seeing any plain-sight plays that the Bears will/should make.

What are your thoughts?

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