Will they or won't they? That is the question hovering over the Chicago Bears in terms of Jay Cutler. The veteran quarterback might have gotten the thumbs up from the franchise, but there are no guarantees they are actually fully committed to his future and fully guaranteed salary through 2016. As the Bears continue to search out a deal for Marcus Mariota, what will Plan B if any deals for Cutler fall through?
The Bears have had interest in trading Cutler for some time now, but no deal has truly presented itself. Now, the Bears are financially committed to Cutler through the 2016 season making trades even harder to seek out. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is reporting that the Bears are pushing a deal with the Tennessee Titans that involves trading Cutler for the No. 2 draft pick with Marcus Mariota the intended target. Cole writes the organization is falling deeper and deeper into the idea that Mariota could be the quarterback of the future for the franchise, but acquiring him will not be easy.
Could this deal happen? Sure, any deal could happen. However, the idea that the Titans favor picking up a veteran with a contract through 2020 over one of the top rookies in the draft seems unlikely. Right now competition is high for Mariota and even higher for that No. 2 pick owned by Tennessee as the Jets, Redskins and Browns are getting linked to it. According to the Draft Value Chart via CBSSports.com, in order to move from No. 7 to No. 2, the Bears would essentially have to surrender their entire draft class. Cutler being included in the deal could alter that a little.
If the deal for Mariota is a wash, the Bears need a Plan B. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, that will come in the form of a wide receiver. The Bears are very interested in both Amari Cooper and Kevin White after trading away Brandon Marshall. The team is looking for a star to lineup alongside Alshon Jeffery and the newly signed Eddie Royal. Either rookie receiver would be the ideal fit, but again they could be gone by No. 7. Both the Raiders and Jaguars are eyeing wide receivers which could force the Bears to draft someone like DeVante Parker to Jaelson Strong.
The Bears will either replace Cutler in the first round or draft a player to help try and make him better. With Matt Forte likely going nowhere in the backfield, the Bears need just one more playmaker along the sidelines to make the latter work.