Chicago Bears quarterback shuffle

Last week the news broke that the Chicago Bears were looking to trade quarterback Jay Cutler. While most believe it will be a difficult sell, especially since the Bears are expected to release him if they can’t find a trade partner, at least one NFL analyst thinks there could be a couple teams willing to trade a low pick for his services.

ESPN Insider Mike Sando recently wrote Eight NFL trades that should happen, and he mentions the Bears, not once, but twice.

Sando talked with an NFL executive and he was told that there may be more trades than usual this offseason. First, because general managers are “getting younger and more adventurous,” and secondly, because of the “weak crop of projected free agents.”

He believes that the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers could be willing to trade a 6th round pick for the rights to Cutler, “because a late-round pick is a low price for preventing Cutler from signing with a different quarterback-needy team.” Then there’s the notion that Cutler could retire if he doesn’t like the team he’s traded to, but the Jets are one year removed form a 10 win season, and the ‘Niners have an offensive system that Cutler may want to get back into.

"Someone is going to be enamored with Cutler's talent," a team executive said. "No one wanted him, and then last year [2015], people thought he was back. You will ride the roller coaster with him, but I think someone would trade for him. You are just taking on the salary for a sixth. The Jets paid $12 million for Fitz, so they can pay $16 million for Cutler. If you are Kyle Shanahan, you will take Cutler and maybe you get a couple years. It buys some time."

Last week in my ‘Chicago Bears 7 Round Mock Draft: Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo edition,’ I took a look at the trade scenarios floated by Sando. He speculated on what it would take for six quarterback needy teams to swing a deal with the New England Patriots for QB Jimmy Garoppolo. On February 21, Sando thought the Bears would need to offer up their 2017 2nd rounder, their 2018 1st rounder, plus a conditional 2018 choice or their 2017 2nd rounder, 2017 5th rounder, and a conditional 2018 pick in order to pry Garoppolo away from the Pats.

Now this week, Sando seems to have settled on a different package for Jimmy G. In his latest Insider piece, the ESPN Senior Writer predicts the Bears could land him for a 2nd rounder this year and next, although he believes the Patriots may want a little more.

Chicago lands its next quarterback without giving up the third overall pick in the draft, while the Patriots acquire the second-round picks they seem to covet (New England has used a league-high 16 picks in second rounds over the past 10 drafts). New England could press for more in return.

If the Bears believe the upside is higher for the 25 year Garoppolo, than it is for the quarterbacks in this years draft class, then I’d expect Ryan Pace to do whatever he can to make the trade a reality.

In the latest mock draft form SB Nation’s Dan Kadar, he has the Bears going with a quarterback.

3. Chicago Bears: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame

If Trubisky is getting asked why he only started one season, Kizer will get asked why he was benched during part of 2016. It’s easy to blame Irish head coach Brian Kelly, but how Kizer explains his side will be critical.

He has North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, a QB with his own set of questions surrounding him, going 2nd overall to the 49ers, with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson going 6th to the Jets.

These three QB needy teams will carry a lot of weight on the landscape of the position in 2017.

We’re still 10 days away from free agency and teams being permitted to make trades. I hope you guys are ready for a lot of rumors between now and then.

What do you guys think the odds are on any of these scenarios taking place?

Trade Jay away...

Trade for Jimmy...

Draft Kizer...