The Bears need a quarterback.
They’re not going to draft one, at least not with the fourth pick Saturday.
Why not?
They think they have a quarterback in Rex Grossman, although they don’t know for sure. Ask again after Game 4.
They think they have a backup in Chad Hutchinson, although his most comforting quality is he’s not Jonathan Quinn.
What is different about this picture? For Bears fans, only the date and names change. The need for a quarterback is so monotonous it provides context across generations.
Son, this is a football. The Bears need a quarterback.
“We can’t be taking a quarterback with the fourth pick in the draft in the event that we lose our starting quarterback, who is right now deemed healthy and ready to go, who we like very much,” general manager Jerry Angelo said.
What about the second round?
Still too many other needs, like runners and catchers and blockers for the quarterback, whoever he is.
What about the third round?
No pick. That went in trade along with the pass catcher, Marty Booker, for the pass rusher, Adewale Ogunleye. The Bears weren’t using Booker much, but because other teams have quarterbacks, the Bears needed somebody to chase them.
What about the fourth round?
The Bears probably would prefer a kicker. If Ohio State’s Mike Nugent lasts that long, welcome to Chicago, where kickers have better success than quarterbacks getting to the end zone.
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What about the fifth round?
Who’s left? Utah’s Alex Smith and Cal’s Aaron Rodgers are expected to go early, maybe before the Bears’ first pick. Auburn’s Jason Campbell seems to be next in line, probably no later than late first.
Akron’s Charlie Frye looks like a second-rounder, no later than third. Green Bay is said to have an eye on him, recalling Brett Favre was once a second-rounder. That’s all Chicago would need.
That leaves Purdue’s Kyle Orton, Florida State’s Adrian McPherson, Georgia’s David Greene and Arizona State’s Andrew Walter.
A reminder here. When you acknowledge the Bears need a quarterback, that means a starting quarterback. They need a first-string quarterback. There has been so much angst and analysis over the No. 2 quarterback that everybody–that is, everybody but Angelo–forgets there is no No. 1 quarterback.
Angelo knows his future is tied directly to Grossman’s right arm. If the rest of Grossman’s body cooperates, Angelo is confident. If not, it’s a real long shot that Hutchinson is a long-term answer. Angelo likes him as a backup, likes him better than other options, which is why the Bears made only lukewarm advances toward veterans Kurt Warner, Brad Johnson and Jay Fiedler.
Angelo knows those guys aren’t long-term answers, either, and the Bears aren’t much interested in short-term answers, not after a decade of Favre owning them and Minnesota’s Daunte Culpepper ascending to Pro Bowl caliber.
“You tell me what the perfect backup quarterback is. I want to know who that is,” Angelo said. “I’d like to tell you I have a great solution, but it doesn’t work that way. We did the best we could do under the circumstances, and we feel comfortable with Chad Hutchinson.”
So if the feeling is Orton, McPherson, Greene, Walter, Louisville’s Stefan LeFors and Harvard’s Ryan Fitzpatrick can’t develop into a legitimate starter, capable of challenging Grossman, the Bears might as well keep trying to develop last year’s rookie, Craig Krenzel. If they are looking for nothing more than developmental backups, they already have Krenzel and NFL Europe participants Kurt Kittner and Ryan Dinwiddie on their roster.
“We made an investment in Rex, and we have to do everything we can to make sure that investment comes to fruition,” Angelo said. “We like Rex Grossman. Would we like to get another quarterback in the draft? Certainly. Bring him in here and develop him.”
Orton is going to be a good value, as many Purdue quarterbacks have been. McPherson is a big gamble after getting kicked out of Florida State and rehabbing in the Arena Football League, but what exactly does the No. 32 offense have to lose?
If Orton or McPherson are there in the fourth or fifth or sixth rounds, the Bears should take one. Heck, take both.
“You can’t have enough quality players, especially at that position,” Angelo admitted.
You can have only one starter, however. That’s what the Bears are looking for. They think, hope, believe Grossman is it, but nobody has seen enough yet.
You can worry about backups all you want. First, there has to be somebody to back up.
Coach Lovie Smith agrees: “No team that’s playing their backup is really winning for an extended time. The focus should be on our No. 1 guy, which is Rex Grossman.”
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