Exec Explains Why Chicago Bears Scouting Department May Be Flawed

Everybody knows the story by now. It's been an ongoing source of countless jokes for years. The Chicago Bears can't identify franchise quarterbacks. They seem like the only organization that hasn't had one in the Super Bowl era. Jim McMahon and Jay Cutler were the closest they've come, and both had too many flaws to earn that title. Several of their other attempts have been massive failures. Cade McNown, Rex Grossman, and Mitch Trubisky flopped. Justin Fields has six wins in his career and multiple flaws.

It forces one to raise an uncomfortable question. Does this team have serious issues in their scouting process when it comes to the quarterback position? Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago spoke about this to people around the league. One AFC executive admitted there might be a problem somewhere in their system. That became evident after watching C.J. Stroud go to Houston and become the heavy favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bears had no issue passing on him this past off-season. That decision looks somewhat dubious. If the plan in 2024 is to go after a new quarterback, they may want to do some serious self-scouting.

Maybe it is time to bring in some new blood.

"Organizationally, the question you'd have to ask yourself is: was our evaluation process sound?" a player personnel staffer told NBC Sports Chicago. "It's not a second guess of the package, right? You get an elite wide receiver. Need that. I like Wright, and the corner [Tyrique Stevenson] might pan out. You can't put a price on the first-round pick this year [2024], given the quarterbacks coming out.

"But if you think Stroud is going to be a star or even if he's better than your initial evaluation, you have to ask why you missed that. Or did you give yourself a chance to see it? They seemed pretty set on Fields. When you trade the pick that early, it seems like there's an error in the evaluation process on some level. It was a good trade, don't get me wrong, but you'd still rather have a set franchise quarterback."

The Chicago Bears have never really overhauled their department.

Many of the people who were there when the team took Trubisky in 2017 were also there for the Fields pick in 2021 and passing on Stroud this year. Nobody can say where the problems start from. Clearly, not enough of the people involved are making the right evaluations. That or somebody isn't banging the table hard enough when the opportunity is there. Whatever the case may be, perhaps the organization needs to bring in people with fresh perspectives. GM Ryan Poles had a chance to do that but mostly kept the status quo. Kevin Warren could change that.

It seems reckless to let this same group of scouts pick the next potential quarterback for this franchise in 2024 after they let Stroud slip past with barely a whisper. That or maybe the organization is just cursed. Either way, what the executive said is true. A flaw exists in the evaluation process. The Chicago Bears have to find and correct it. If that means purging much of their scouting department, then so be it.