CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears finished the regular season with a 6-10 record after a 24-20 loss to the Lions on Sunday. Here are five questions facing the Bears this offseason:
Should Jay Cutler be the quarterback in 2016? Cutler should be Plan B; the Bears’ best-case scenario is to draft their quarterback of the future this spring. Cutler is 32 years old, his time is running out, and the Bears tried to deal Cutler last year. But elite rookie quarterbacks are extremely hard to find. Bears general manager Ryan Pace may not be in position to select a future starter based on the draft board, which is why Cutler could be an acceptable option for another year. Cutler was efficient in 2015, and he drastically reduced the number of his turnovers; Cutler did toss three interceptions in Week 17. Cutler is a bridge quarterback, but he’s a pretty good one. The guy still has a great arm, and tons of athleticism left. The Bears, however, do need to begin acquiring young talent at the quarterback position.
Should the Bears re-sign Alshon Jeffery? Jeffery is injury-prone but supremely talented. In four NFL seasons, Jeffery has missed 13 games. But when he's healthy, Jeffery is among the NFC’s best receivers. He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2013 and ’14, and caught a career-best 10 touchdowns last year. Injuries limited Jeffery to only nine games in 2015, but he still made 54 receptions for 807 yards and four touchdowns. And he’s just 25 years old. No team can afford to let quality, young players simply walk out the door. The Bears may not be comfortable giving Jeffery a long-term deal (because of the injuries), and he probably wants to test free agency. But the franchise tag is an option. The Bears should strongly consider applying the tag to keep Jeffery in Chicago for another year.
What position should be the Bears’ top priority in the draft? Pass-rusher. Could be outside linebacker or defensive end. The Bears simply need a pass-rusher to complement Pernell McPhee, who is one of Chicago’s only defenders capable of registering double-digit sacks in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme. For all the strides that Fangio's defense made, the Bears entered Week 17 with only 31 team sacks. They finished with 39 team sacks in 2014. There is a premium placed on draft prospects (for good reason) who are good pass-rushers. Quarterback is also high on the Bears' wish list.
What’s the one thing that absolutely needs to change this offseason? The number of injuries that happen at practice. Safety Antrel Rolle, receiver Marquess Wilson, cornerback Bryce Callahan and Jeffery all missed significant time because of injuries they sustained on the practice field. That is unacceptable. Football is violent enough on game days. Routinely losing important players midweek is flat-out reckless. We can try to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt: perhaps certain players failed to properly adjust to Fox’s methods, which included hiring a full-time sports science coordinator and dietitian. But if this stuff frequently occurs again in 2016, the Bears will have a real problem on their hands.
What’s the one key move the Bears should make but won’t? Re-signing Matt Forte. It’s difficult to envision the Bears bringing back Forte with Jeremy Langford poised for a larger role in 2016, but Forte can still play at an extremely high level; he had a 23-yard touchdown catch versus the Lions. He is also the second-most productive tailback in franchise history behind only the legendary Walter Payton. Forte, 30, has never been a distraction off the field or inside the locker room in eight seasons in Chicago. The only “controversy” associated with Forte pertained to his strained contract talks four years ago, but keep in mind, NFL running backs usually get just one shot at a big payday. It’s hard to blame Forte for attempting to maximize his value. Forte can help the Bears in 2016, but only if they offer him a fair deal to stick around.