Stephen Paea pressures Josh McCown at Soldier Field. (Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune)
INDIANAPOLIS — Here are 10 takeaways on the Chicago Bears from the NFL Combine:
1. It’s understandable that the Bears reached out and met with quarterback Josh McCown, but I’m not sure Chicago is the best fit for him. General manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox met with McCown Wednesday morning in Indianapolis, which isn’t surprising because both the GM and Fox have ties to the quarterback and know him well. Pace later said he thinks McCown can be a starter or a backup in the league next season, and at this point it’s unclear what role he would have with the Bears.
The timing here is interesting because McCown has the freedom to sign with any team at any point. He doesn’t have to wait until the new league year begins March 10. That allows him to set the quarterback market on a weak group of free agents, and because of the lack of options available, McCown might command more money as a starter than the Bears are willing to pay.
Cutler is the wild card here. Do Pace and Fox view McCown as Cutler’s backup? Do they think he would provide legitimate competition? Or do they hope to shop Cutler and use McCown as a veteran option while trying to develop a younger prospect?
The problem with that last scenario — beyond the difficulties of actually trading Cutler — is that there aren’t many viable options in the draft. The Bears would almost certainly have to use the No. 7 overall pick on either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota and it’s impossible to guarantee that either player will be available with that pick.
I’m still of the belief that Cutler will be the Bears’ starter next year and if that’s the case, will McCown be willing to take less money to be the Bears’ backup when the Bills, Jets or Browns might be willing to pay him more to be their starter? The Bills in particular might be McCown’s best landing spot. They have a very good defense, Sammy Watkins at wide receiver, and a fresh, new coaching staff that includes familiarity with Aaron Kromer.
Plus, I have to imagine the Bears are smart enough not to create an open competition between McCown and Cutler this offseason. There might be riots on the streets of Bourbonnais in August if that scenario were to unfold.
2. In the meantime, the Bears remain completely non-committal toward Cutler. Here’s why that is a smart strategy.
3. It’s a very real possibility that Brandon Marshall is no longer a member of the Bears come March 12. That’s the day Marshall’s 2015 base $7.5 million salary becomes fully guaranteed, and the Bears can save $3.95 million against the cap if they release the wide receiver before that deadline.
Depending on where the salary cap is set, the Bears will have around $24 million in cap space, so it’s not like they need the $3.95 million that cutting Marshall would provide. That said, $3.95 million is still a significant amount of money and ownership might want to save that cash if it means ridding themselves of a player who was more of a distraction in 2014 than an asset.
And that’s ultimately what this decision is about. Pace acknowledged Wednesday that the new regime is analyzing and researching Marshall’s behavior last season, which included the bizarre domestic violence press conference in September, the locker room outburst after a loss to the Dolphins in October and challenging a Lions fan to a fight on Twitter in November. Then, in December, Jason La Canfora reported that Marshall got into a very heated altercation in practice with assistant defensive backs coach Chris Harris earlier in the season. The report surfaced the same week as the Kromer/Cutler controversy so it didn’t get much attention, but of all the incidents involving Marshall, getting into an altercation with a coach in practice might be the most concerning to Pace and Fox. Harris was not retained by Fox, but you can bet the head coach has all the details on what happened that day.
The Bears also have the best insight on Marshall’s physical health. The ankle issues that limited him last season aren’t as concerning as the three hip surgeries he has had in his career. It’s an important factor to remember as the Bears’ make their decision on the wide receiver.
4. Keep an open mind as the Bears transition to a 3-4 defense. When most think of a 3-4 defense, they think of three big, two-gapping defensive linemen up front. Many teams go that route, but there are other teams — namely the Steelers and Packers — who run a lot of one-gap techniques up front out of their 3-4 defense.
It will be nearly impossible for the Bears to find the personnel to run a full two-gapping 3-4 next season and they’re somewhat stuck with a few guys who will be playing out of scheme. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is good at mixing and matching to fit his defense around the personnel, so I expect to see a lot of hybrid formations next season. Plus, with all the nickel being played across the league, there will be plenty of situations where the Bears look more like a 4-3 anyway.
Keep in mind that the Bears are allowed an extra (voluntary) minicamp in late April because they have a new coaching staff. That will be the first time the new coaching staff gets to see these players on the field to see where they fit. It will be an important three days for the Bears.
5. Stephen Paea might be worth keeping. This goes hand-in-hand with the idea of one-gapping in a 3-4. Paea had a great 2014 season and appeared to benefit from the “gap-and-a-half” techniques the Bears used on the defensive line. He fits a 3-4 better than most might think and the Bears should think about keeping him as a nose tackle. That said, while healthy in 2014, Paea battled numerous nagging injuries his first three seasons and he might get overpaid on the open market next month.
6. No player should feel safe on defense. You may remember last year when Phil Emery and Marc Trestman made it clear that Lance Briggs was the only player guaranteed a starting spot. This year, you can write Jeremiah Ratliff and Kyle Fuller into the starting lineup with a permanent marker, but beyond that, it’s up for grabs. And with the scheme change, even Ratliff and Fuller could be moved around. Is Fuller better off in the slot? Could he play safety? I expect to see a lot of experimenting in OTAs and minicamps.
7. Jared Allen and Willie Young will be moving to outside linebacker. While he hasn’t done it before in the NFL, I think Young can make the transition and will be just fine. His speed and length coming off the edge will be an asset if he can learn the basics of dropping into coverage. The problem for him is his torn Achilles, which won’t allow him to practice in the new scheme this offseason. Because of that, the Bears have to look for other options in the meantime.
As for Allen, remember last season when he said he needed to find “half-a-step”? He’s probably going to need a full step as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He’s a good enough player to play out of a two-point stance here and there and I suspect Fangio will find opportunities to get Allen’s hand on the ground too, but his fit in a 3-4 is questionable and will be watched closely.
8. Lamarr Houston will probably be better off in a 3-4. Houston is scheme-versatile, but if last year was any indication, a 3-4 fits him better. He’s the one ideal 5-technique on the roster already and as long as he comes back healthy from his torn ACL, he should be set up for more success in 2015.
9. Christian Jones could be a key to defensive success. The Bears have an uphill battle finding enough linebackers to successfully play a 3-4, but Jones is a big linebacker already on the roster who could fit the scheme. He has the size to play as an inside backer, but could also be used at the SAM, sometimes asked to two-gap against opposing tight ends. Jones is still relatively raw and it’s hard to project how good he’ll be, but he seems like a guy Fangio will get the most out of.
10. Josh Lucas is a name you should know. I asked Pace about his new Director of Player Personnel and the general manager’s face lit up.
“I smile when you say his name because that was a huge get for us too,” Pace said. “That’s something I think that goes a little unnoticed. I felt like Josh was one of the top evaluators in New Orleans, and for me to have him here with me sharing a lot of my philosophies, I mean, he’s a Harvard graduate. He’s going to be huge in what we do. And he’s been a big asset for me already.”
That was evident last month at the Senior Bowl, when Pace let Lucas take the lead down in Mobile while the GM helped Fox fill out his coaching staff back in Chicago. Lucas is essentially in the same role that Pace held with the Saints, so he’s a very important figure in the new Bears’ regime.
Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.
