The Chicago Bears are bringing in John Fox as head coach and now that he has been hired, the team may consider a Jay Cutler trade with teams like the Washington Redskins or Tennessee Titans and they could look at Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez as replacements on the free agent market and this comes as the team also may target Amari Cooper, Landon Collins or Vic Beasley in the NFL draft.
The Bears are coming off of a disappointing 5-11 season and they have a top 10 draft pick and that will give Fox and company the chance to make a splash. The team could look at drafting a quarterback at that spot, as Brett Hundley could be available, while Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston likely will be off the table. Some have suggested that the team could trade Jay Cutler after he was benched last season and if that happens, Hundley could be in the mix along with later round options like Shane Carden or Taylor Kelly.
The Bears have numerous holes on the roster to deal with and they really need to improve on defense after the way the unit performed under Marc Trestman. Fox has a background on defense and he could be the key to turning things around in Chicago on that side of the ball. The offense has great personnel, including Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte, meaning a bounce back in 2015 is possible. If the team keeps Cutler, that also is very possible, as he had a down year with turnovers but also put up some of the best numbers of his career.
Windy City Gridiron wrote about the draft options for the Bears and they identified Landon Collins as a target in some mock drafts. Amari Cooper also could be a target if he remains on the board, as he is coming off of a fantastic season with the Crimson Tide. While the team has Marshall and Jeffery already, Cooper could be the best player on the board if he is available when the Bears pick and GM Ryan Pace could look at adding another dynamic piece to the offense.
While that would be adding strength to an area of strength, both Jeffery and Marshall dealt with injury issues at times last season and Cooper could be some nice insurance for that. Cutler is an interesting situation, as John Fox may have the option with Ryan Pace to look at a trade and if that happens, Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer or Sam Bradford (if he is released) could be potential options to replace him. The Bears likely don't see those names as "better" players than Cutler, but they could use that saved money to improve the team in other ways.
Cutler has a base salary that is $15.5 million and it's all guaranteed and if he is traded the team also could consider drafting Brett Hundley in the first round. Cutler led the league in turnovers last season and also interceptions, but he put up career high numbers in TD passes and completion percentage. Cutler also had his second best total in passing yards in his career and that could lead to Fox and the Bears keeping Cutler and building around him rather than looking for a trade.
