NFL Insider Offers Even More Clarity On Bears Likely QB Plan

Oh the amount of money Chicago Bears fans would pay to know what GM Ryan Pace is thinking right now. At this point all they can piece together are two things. The Jay Cutler era is over, made official by the news that the team is shopping him. Also that the team is opening up every avenue to finding their next hopeful franchise quarterback. That means free agency, trades and the draft are "on the table" as Pace put it. Beyond that? Not much. Not single name has really come with any sort of credibility in regards to the Bears actually being interested. Just persistent rumor from national media outlets who think they have the inside knowledge. Odds are that's not the case. The Bears under Pace have perfected the art of keeping things on the down low. Secrecy is king. So if a name can't be discovered, what about a preference of approach? Even that can prove difficult but there are some interesting hints floating around that have begun to point in a particular direction. One noted expert believes it's becoming clearer each day.

FITTING PEGS TO HOLES

Peter King is among the most respected NFL media personalities in the business. He's been at it for decades and is among the most well-connected around the league. While he doesn't invest in being a football Nostradamus, his opinion carries a certain degree of weight. That's why it was interesting when he did a complete breakdown of how he expects the quarterback picture to play out over the couple months. That includes the Bears. His explanations covered every conceivable team that could use a quarterback. Essentially here is a concise breakdown of how he sees things playing out.

• Jimmy Garoppolo stays in New England
• Browns trade for A.J. McCarron
• 49ers make a determined push for Kirk Cousins
• Tony Romo heads to Houston
• Bills keep Tyrod Taylor
• Mike Glennon gets a shot with Jets
• The Cardinals quietly sign Jay Cutler

Something to take away from that. All of the notable free agent or trade options are likely scooped up by other teams. Either because they have more favorable records or more ammunition to deal with. Thus King didn't really need to go into much detail about what he feels the Bears are likely to do.

"This just looks like Trubisky or Kizer to me, or maybe Mahomes in the second round, or as a late-first-round trade-up. The Bears need to start over, as does Cutler."

EYES ON APRIL

In other words it's all about the NFL draft for GM Ryan Pace. This can't be considered a big surprise. Chicago likely won't be able to outbid other teams for a top trade option and they don't look like a favorable signing spot for Romo. At least not compared to Houston or Denver. Besides, they hold the #3 pick in the draft. That guarantees them a reasonable chance of getting one of the top quarterback options on the board. Sports Mockery recently posted an article detailing whom other experts believed the team would target. There were plenty of different names mentioned, but it shook out like this.

• The Draft = 12
• Free Agency = 3
• A Trade = 1

This may not thrill a lot of Bears fans who were warming to the idea of Garoppolo coming hope or the growing intrigue of somebody like Taylor. Yet the facts are hard to ignore. This teams' biggest card to play is their high draft position. That presents them the best opportunity to get the talent of their choice at quarterback. Any other avenue is riddled with major obstacles and could end up costing them more than they can afford to pay.