The Chicago Bears are coming into the offseason after speculation about a Jay Cutler trade and now the team likely will have Cutler over Jimmy Clausen in the competition to start in workouts and this comes as a Matt Forte trade could be a potential option down the line if the running back is not happy with his contract situation, as he is looking for an extension.
The Bears went just 5-11 last season and after making some major changes to the front office and the roster, John Fox is ready to get the team back to the playoffs. Cutler's future was under speculation since the end of last season when he was benched by Marc Trestman for Jimmy Clausen, but now it looks like he will be remaining in Chicago. According to Pro Football Talk, the Bears "dangled" Cutler to the Titans in an effort to get Marcus Mariota, but the trade never came close to happening.
The Bears are prepared to come into the season with Forte as the lead running back, but there is a chance things could change if he holds out for a new contract. According to the Chicago Tribune, Forte is coming into the final year of his deal and while he said that he is not planning to stage a holdout, things could change if he doesn't get an extension. Forte had a great season in 2014, but he is going to be 30 by the end of the season and the Bears just drafted Langford out of Michigan State.
Coming into offseason workouts Fox said that Cutler will open as the starter, but he said that Clausen will get the chance to prove himself as well. Cutler is getting paid a ton of money, so he will be given every chance to "win" the starting job for Fox, but it's likely that he has it locked up already. Clausen is a solid backup and while Cutler did not have his best season in 2014, he is more talented than Clausen and gives the Bears the best chance to win.
Last year Cutler did not play great overall, as the offense was not a consistent unit, but stats wise he was very impressive and that could help him bounce back this year. Adam Gase comes in to take over the offense and he did a strong job in Denver with Peyton Manning and could try to recreate that in Chicago. Cutler comes in after passing for a career high 28 touchdowns last season and he also set a high mark with a 66 percent completion rate.
Jerry Jones left the door open for the Cowboys to make a move, as he said in an interview that the team could consider trading their 2016 first round pick for a running back if the situation was right. Jones spoke about the roster situation and said that while he is satisfied with the makeup of the position for the Cowboys, the team is always looking to improve. While that doesn't mean a deal for Forte is an option for the Cowboys, it could put the team in the mix if he ends up holding out for a new contract.