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The quarterback question -- again
Bears will have many options after the season, but how good are they?
September 30, 2007
BY MIKE MULLIGAN Staff Reporter
One-two punch
It's difficult to overstate exactly what happened to the future of the Bears' quarterback position last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
First, you had Rex Grossman throwing three interceptions and losing his starting job, which effectively closes the book on his Bears career. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Where will he end up? How about Atlanta, where the Falcons will explore multiple avenues to replace Michael Vick? Phil Emery, the Falcons' director of college scouting, was high on Grossman when he worked as a regional scout for the Bears. Maybe he can sell Grossman to general manager Rich McKay. Maybe not.
The second thing that happened is that the performance of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo effectively took the best potential unrestricted free agent next year off the market. There was an audible ''cha-ching'' sound effect coming from the skybox Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his minions shared as the price of Romo's long-term deal clicked higher.
If the Cowboys can't sign Romo before the season ends, they likely will put a franchise tag on him so nobody else will be able to talk with him on the free-agent market.
The only other interesting quarterback prospect who might be a potential free agent is Phillip Rivers, who has a voidable option that the San Diego Chargers can -- and probably will -- pick up.
What does that leave on the open market? Not much. Does Jim Sorgi do anything for you? How about Cleo Lemon?
The Bears were supposedly going to draft Daunte Culpepper before trading down and taking Cade McNown in 1999. Does Culpepper do anything for you?
The free-agent market is only one device used to collect players. And the Bears have been masters at putting together their team through all avenues, be it the draft, the restricted market, the trade market, undrafted guys, whatever.
Is there a chance they'll draft a quarterback? There's a great chance the position will wind up being a priority depending on the performance of Brian Griese, who is still under contract for three seasons after this one. Kyle Orton needs to be promoted from the third quarterback spot to No. 2 and perhaps will get on the field at the end of the season if things don't work out right.
The draft features some interesting prospects, as always, but consider this line from the overview of Pro Football Weekly's 2007-2008 Pro Prospect Preview, a magazine that came out virtually the minute Griese replaced Grossman: ''Heading into the season, there is no true, sure-fire franchise quarterback in college football.''
Just as well, considering the Bears are unlikely to be drafting in the top five.
It's too early to set the board on any position for the draft next year, but some intriguing quarterbacks will be available, including Louisville's Brian Brohm, Kentucky's Andre Woodson, USC's John David Booty, Boston College's Matt Ryan and LSU's Matt Flynn.
The most intriguing quarterback on the trade market is the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb, who is rumored to have been offered to the Bears for linebacker Lance Briggs during the offseason. Chris Simms is a guy the Bears loved coming out of Texas, a favored program in their operation. He might be trade bait with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The New York Jets' Chad Pennington is another starter who might be on the market.
The best restricted free-agent quarterback on the market will be the Cleveland Browns' Derek Anderson.
EX FACTOR CAMERON WORRELL | Miami Dolphins S
A special-teams standout for the Bears last season, Worrell signed with the Dolphins as a free agent and immediately was pressed into playing time on defense when strong safety Yeremiah Bell was lost for the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The Dolphins moved Travares Tillman into the starting lineup next to Renaldo Hill, but they have been substituting Worrell in on obvious passing downs. Worrell, a 27-year-old in his fifth NFL season out of Fresno State, has seven tackles in three games this season.
BIG NUMBER38Points the Patriots have scored against each of their first three opponents -- home against the Jets, at the Chargers and at the Bills. The Patriots have scored in all 12 quarters this season. THE LAST WORD
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Bears will have many options after the season, but how good are they?
September 30, 2007
BY MIKE MULLIGAN Staff Reporter
One-two punch
It's difficult to overstate exactly what happened to the future of the Bears' quarterback position last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
First, you had Rex Grossman throwing three interceptions and losing his starting job, which effectively closes the book on his Bears career. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Where will he end up? How about Atlanta, where the Falcons will explore multiple avenues to replace Michael Vick? Phil Emery, the Falcons' director of college scouting, was high on Grossman when he worked as a regional scout for the Bears. Maybe he can sell Grossman to general manager Rich McKay. Maybe not.
The second thing that happened is that the performance of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo effectively took the best potential unrestricted free agent next year off the market. There was an audible ''cha-ching'' sound effect coming from the skybox Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his minions shared as the price of Romo's long-term deal clicked higher.
If the Cowboys can't sign Romo before the season ends, they likely will put a franchise tag on him so nobody else will be able to talk with him on the free-agent market.
The only other interesting quarterback prospect who might be a potential free agent is Phillip Rivers, who has a voidable option that the San Diego Chargers can -- and probably will -- pick up.
What does that leave on the open market? Not much. Does Jim Sorgi do anything for you? How about Cleo Lemon?
The Bears were supposedly going to draft Daunte Culpepper before trading down and taking Cade McNown in 1999. Does Culpepper do anything for you?
The free-agent market is only one device used to collect players. And the Bears have been masters at putting together their team through all avenues, be it the draft, the restricted market, the trade market, undrafted guys, whatever.
Is there a chance they'll draft a quarterback? There's a great chance the position will wind up being a priority depending on the performance of Brian Griese, who is still under contract for three seasons after this one. Kyle Orton needs to be promoted from the third quarterback spot to No. 2 and perhaps will get on the field at the end of the season if things don't work out right.
The draft features some interesting prospects, as always, but consider this line from the overview of Pro Football Weekly's 2007-2008 Pro Prospect Preview, a magazine that came out virtually the minute Griese replaced Grossman: ''Heading into the season, there is no true, sure-fire franchise quarterback in college football.''
Just as well, considering the Bears are unlikely to be drafting in the top five.
It's too early to set the board on any position for the draft next year, but some intriguing quarterbacks will be available, including Louisville's Brian Brohm, Kentucky's Andre Woodson, USC's John David Booty, Boston College's Matt Ryan and LSU's Matt Flynn.
The most intriguing quarterback on the trade market is the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb, who is rumored to have been offered to the Bears for linebacker Lance Briggs during the offseason. Chris Simms is a guy the Bears loved coming out of Texas, a favored program in their operation. He might be trade bait with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The New York Jets' Chad Pennington is another starter who might be on the market.
The best restricted free-agent quarterback on the market will be the Cleveland Browns' Derek Anderson.
EX FACTOR CAMERON WORRELL | Miami Dolphins S
A special-teams standout for the Bears last season, Worrell signed with the Dolphins as a free agent and immediately was pressed into playing time on defense when strong safety Yeremiah Bell was lost for the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The Dolphins moved Travares Tillman into the starting lineup next to Renaldo Hill, but they have been substituting Worrell in on obvious passing downs. Worrell, a 27-year-old in his fifth NFL season out of Fresno State, has seven tackles in three games this season.
BIG NUMBER38Points the Patriots have scored against each of their first three opponents -- home against the Jets, at the Chargers and at the Bills. The Patriots have scored in all 12 quarters this season. THE LAST WORD
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