Bears could target veteran backup for Cutler
Bears could target veteran backup for Cutler
March 8, 2011 4:50 PM |
By Brad Biggs
Eighth of a 10-part series.
A year after Jay Cutler was on the field for all but 11 snaps with the Chicago Bears, he missed one game and half of another during the regular season because of a concussion. Cutler then was sidelined by a knee injury in the NFC Championship Game after the first possession of the second half.
The playing time for the quarterbacks in 2010 was pretty straight-forward. Looking ahead, the question is who will be in line to take snaps in the event something happens to Cutler in 2011?
First, let's look at the playing time for quarterbacks this past season:
Jay Cutler: 889 snaps, 90.7 percent
Todd Collins: 62, 6.3 percent
Caleb Hanie: 29, 3.0 percent
Collins will be an unrestricted free agent and the Bears will not bring him back. The team tendered Hanie with the low offer as a restricted free agent, but offensive coordinator Mike Martz wasn't ready to anoint him as the No. 2.
A year after drafting Dan LeFevour in the sixth round, the Bears could consider that route again. But Martz doesn't believe in giving his No. 3 quarterbacks much work, especially in training camp, so developing a late-round pick would be difficult. It certainly didn't go smoothly with LeFevour, who struggled.
Given Martz's frequent pleas for a veteran backup a year ago, one would imagine he will state his case in Halas Hall again this year. That's just a theory. General manager Jerry Angelo said Hanie's stock had risen, at least in his eyes, so we'll see what kind of collective decision the organization reaches at the position. Remember, the Bears have not been opposed to going with only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in the past.
We've already posted playing-time breakdowns on the defensive line, wide receiver, linebacker, cornerback, running back, tight end and safety positions. Check back throughout the day as we analyze playing time at every position.
