Thread: Who should be our backup QB's next year?

With all due respect to Ric, I think we are going to have to "rent" a vet FA to be QB2. Who that may be, I have no idea (don't know what FAs are available). Campbell was a good idea and understandable reaction to the Hanie debacle but he was poorly prepared by the coaching staff and very overpaid (2nd highest paid backup in the league after Matt Flynn who after all was given a 1st string contract until he surprisingly lost the job to RWilson).

Green Bay got extremely lucky this year in that they had no decent depth at the position at all after Flynn left. Graham Herrell (sp?) had zero NFL experience and would normally be a #3 at best. If Rodgers had missed say 3 games with a groin pull or MCL sprain, Green Bay would probably be 7-7 and out of the playoffs right now instead of being 10-4 and division champs.

We can talk all you want about AR being "the most sacked QB" but the fact is, our OL is way worse and Cutler takes way more punishment. He has been hurt at least 3 years in a row. He also takes more chances back there than AR does, holds the ball too long at times, has less talented receiving options down the depth chart. Even if we upgrade the OL substantially (vital obviously), we are still going to need a vet backup QB who can win you a game or two if necessary.

I have no problem with drafting a rookie to get in the pipeline -- IF we are able to fill our other bigger needs too (OLs, LB, TE, WR4). The earliest we would be able to do that is the 4th or 5th rounds. I doubt we are going to find a RWilson or Cousins or Foles there (all 3rds I believe, and we don't have a third). If we get really lucky, then great, but its a long shot to find a plausible #2 QB as a rookie that far back in the draft. Realistically, we would be drafting a #3 who could hopefully move up in a year or two. We could very well end up with another Enderle, who was so bad that he's out of the league in a year and wasn't even allowed to take the field. I wold hope that Emery could do better than that but finding a solid #2 right off the bat is a tall order IMO.

Cliff Stein has his work cut out for him this off-season. We have several key FAs of our own to figure out, before we go for a veteran QB. Would I like to see a vet in here as back-up, sure, but who out there really gives you confidence? I expect us to draft one QB, and bring in a few UDFAs, and the winner gets the job. With a full year of evaluation by the Scouting dept, and Bates as QB coach, we should be able to go with a rookie.

All this is a moot point though until Emery decides on HC, or OC (if Lovie stays and Tice goes). New coach, new system, new philosophy all factor heavily into the direction we go.

These changes are exactly what we need, but I don't think most will happen. To the head of that list, add change out new HC with one that brings in a winning attitude and a sense of urgency.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

If we get a good OC, and a rock-solid offensive line, at least one TE who can be a receiving weapon, replace Hester with an upgrade at WR -- then a FA veteran "game manager" type QB with average skills will be just fine as our #2.

If we fail to fix the above problems, then it won't matter if we get Tom Brady as our #2. We're screwed.


p.s. We don't have enough draft picks, as it is, to completely fix the Jerry Angelo mess in 2013. So forget about wasting one of our few precious draft picks on a QB. We need to go the FA route for a backup QB next year.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

I have no problem with drafting a rookie to get in the pipeline -- IF we are able to fill our other bigger needs too (OLs, LB, TE, WR4). The earliest we would be able to do that is the 4th or 5th rounds. I doubt we are going to find a RWilson or Cousins or Foles there (all 3rds I believe, and we don't have a third). If we get really lucky, then great, but its a long shot to find a plausible #2 QB as a rookie that far back in the draft. Realistically, we would be drafting a #3 who could hopefully move up in a year or two. We could very well end up with another Enderle, who was so bad that he's out of the league in a year and wasn't even allowed to take the field. I wold hope that Emery could do better than that but finding a solid #2 right off the bat is a tall order IMO.

MP, I've already shown that you can get WR depth/a 4th wr n the 5-UDFA, good ones too. No reason to grab them in the 1-4th; really same w/RB depth. TE is a little sketchier) I know G's can go in those later rounds also, but not sure of their success rate. But I still see no reason not to use cap on vet players that will play(T/G/TE) and then draft LB, OL, then #2 qb in the 4th. The talent is there to have a good backup, hell potential starter at qb for the next 4 years at a fraction of the cost of some deadbeat qb that proved he cannot play(campbell/orton/rex/carr/leftwhich/moore etc).

Now again, if Lovie and his shit crew are here, I do see them going vet qb; typical mistake this group loves to do. But good offensive minded coaches don't do that, see GB, see St's, See Pat's, and the Colts/Bronc's w/Manning(who has a freeking bad neck). Good O minded teams do not waste cap on a garbage players, they go w/young players w/a ton of potential at the qb position, ecspeically when you have a vet franchise guy(which Cutler should be).

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

why is it that qb is a wasted draft pick(in the 4th), but an OL/TE in the fourth isn't? Think a OG/T in the 4th is really going to be good enough to start over Louis/Carimi? No way you are getting a tackle in the 4th that can start week 1, but not in the 1st or 2nd? You have to assume that the T/LB are going 1, 2. Proved in the other thread that WR 3-4 can be gotten 5-7th/UDFA. So in FA why not go starting T or G and TE which are all capable of starting and are cheaper then a vet qb?
That leaves you at T: FA/Rookie/Carimi/Scott. G's/C's Louis/Carimi/Brown/EWilliams/Garza. That's 8 linemen on your squad which is what we are carrying right now. And plenty of youth, why bring a another you in for more depth in the 4th when you need a qb you can rely
TE, FA/Adams/late round pick for depth/development)
WR, Marshal/Jeffery/Bennett/late round pick(these aren't even developmental guys)/Hester/Sanz
QB Cutler/4th round pick

If you want to say that you want to take a TE in the 4th, I'll understand it; but you have to understand that most TE's rookie year are shakier then most WR's, and will not be as good as a FA guy who can make an imideate impact.


What makes this worse is that the list of vet qb's is horrible. the Best is Flacco, and he's not leaving Balt. After that its Campbell, Leftwhich, Grossman, Derrek Anderson, Lienhart. Which of those do you want to pay 2 to 5 million to and then feel comfortable starting 2-3 games if necessary?

You improve your roster by bringing in new players who can push current (substandard) ones down the depth chart. I think we all agree with that and only differ on precisely where we are talking about position-wise.

In FA I am assuming we have to go LT if available (no other way to supplant Webb which clearly has to be done right away). I am also assuming that will take up the lions share of cap space for new acquisitions, given the guys we have to re-sign of our own. If I'm wrong, and I would love to be wrong here, then maybe we can get a vet OG or TE too. I am just assuming for arguments sake that we cannot.

That leaves a lot to do in the draft (as our picks stand right now) and not many selections to do it with. 1st and 2nd almost assuredly have to be some combination of LB & OL. No 3rd. In the 4th my preference is currently to draft a speedy slot WR/backup returner to push Hester down the WR depth chart. The 5th and 6th are carte Blanche bpa's who aren't likely to see the field or even make the team necessarily (and that's assuming these picks are traded away to move up in earlier rounds). We don't have a 7th and udfa is a crap shoot that is just "gravy" if you happen to find a hidden gem STer/PS player.

Maybe we can trade down our 1st (depending where we finish) and net an extra late-2nd or early-3rd. I would think Emery would explore that option if he feels he can still get the player he wants in the late-1st. Would help a lot IMO if this scenario works out.

Our TEs totally suck, Ric. We have one that can block a little but is useless as a WR (Spaeth) and another who's terrible at both despite having "elite measurables" (Davis). They should both be cut to free much needed cap space (few million extra). I'd keep ERod and start using him as an H-back receiver, maybe keep Eldridge (if he's still around) as a pure inline blocker, and lose KAdams (who also sucks) to the PS at best. We definitely need a competent 3rd TE who can both block and receive decently. If we can't afford a Keller in FA, then maybe we use that late-2nd in the above hopeful scenario to draft one (Ertz from Stanford?). We really really need a TE especially Cutler definitely prefers big targets.

I understand your reasoning and sympathize. But no way we can spend anything higher than a 4th on a rookie QB this year if we hope to make a run next season with the D window closing fast. If there's a promising QB there and you can still get a decent slot WR/returner prospect in the 5th, I'm all for it. But let's not just "draft a QB because we are desperate for a backup" and end up with another unplayable Nathan Enderle or Ryan Lindley (5th & 6th rounders respectively). If that's all that left by the time we get to the back half of the draft, I'd rather wait to 2014 and use a 2nd or a 3rd to get a guy who could actually amount to something. Jmo.