The curious case of Jay Cutler continues as this offseason has certainly been an odd one for the quarterback. The Chicago Bears were first reportedly shopping the quarterback to the highest bidder, but once no deal came the team's way, the opted to keep Cutler on the roster making his 2016 salary guaranteed. That means the Bears are all-in on Cutler for at least the next two seasons, but that is not stopping the team from continuing to explore trade options heading into the NFL Draft.
The Bears continue to get linked to Marcus Mariota despite not making their first pick until No. 7. The Bears would have to make a big jump up the boards in order to acquire the former Oregon star and considering competition is high for the quarterback, the price for a higher draft pick will be costly. However, are the Bears hoping the Tennessee Titans can help them out?
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the Bears are trying to sell the Tennessee Titans on a package that includes Cutler and a draft pick in order to get the team's No. 2 pick. Coles writes that Chicago is sold on the potential of Mariota and fully believes the quarterback could be the guy to get the franchise out of their recent slump. A number of teams believe that which means the Bears are going to have to present a big offer to the Titans and Cutler may or may not be enough.
The Tennessean has reported that the Titans like what they have in Zach Mettenberger and believe he has real potential with the franchise. For now, they are remaining coy about their potential interest in Mariota, although several mock drafts have the team selecting the quarterback at No. 2. The Bears are hoping that the Titans would prefer to place a veteran quarterback alongside Mettenberger instead of a rookie which would make their rotation very young.
Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt does like veteran quarterbacks. When he was with the Arizona Cardinals he favored Kurt Warner. When he was a coordinator at San Diego he had Philip Rivers. However, those quarterbacks had playoff potential. The jury is still out on whether or not Cutler does.
Cutler and Jimmy Clausen will be competing for the starting spot according to head coach John Fox. However, the Bears need another body in the rotation. If they fail to get Mariota in the draft, the team could eye trades for Mike Glennon or Kirk Cousins. They would be the cheapest players to acquire. They could also look for options in later rounds including Bryce Petty and Brett Hundley.