The Chicago Bears haven’t really had a franchise quarterback. Especially when you consider that Jay Cutler is the franchise’s all-time leading passer, and that they’re desperately trying to get rid of him. With the 2017 NFL Draft class lacking a real star at quarterback, they should look elsewhere. The Chicago Bears should give Mike Glennon, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, a look.
The Chicago Bears Should Sign Mike Glennon
The Draft Class
The Chicago Bears do own the third overall pick in the draft, and at this point, it’s almost a given that the Cleveland Browns will take Myles Garrett first overall. The San Francisco 49ers might take a quarterback, but should the Bears take one, they’ll still have a few options.
This is a subjective thing, but this draft class isn’t exactly outstanding. The weird thing about this draft class is that even the best prospects are flawed. Depending who you ask, either Mitch Trubisky, DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, or Pat Mahones could be considered the best quarterback prospect in this draft class.
Usually there’s at least one guy that deserves a first round grade. Last year it was Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The year before that, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, and in 2014, there was Teddy Bridgewater. This year, all of the quarterback prospects look unfinished, like they’d be second round picks if the demand wasn’t so high. The Bears can draft a quarterback early, but they shouldn’t if they want him to start right away.
The Other Free Agents
This really isn’t a pretty free agent class for quarterbacks. Mike Glennon is unproven, but the other available names sound like Matt Cassel, Ryan Nassib, Matt Schaub, and EJ Manuel. They could re-sign Brian Hoyer, but he’s mediocre at best and not getting any younger. There’s a possibility that Tony Romo hits the open market, but he’ll likely go somewhere that gives him a chance to win, and that’s not Chicago.
Trades
The big trade-bait this off-season was Jimmy Garoppolo of the New England Patriots, but the defending Super Bowl champions announced that they weren’t trading him. Other candidates to be traded are Romo, Chicago’s own, Jay Cutler, and perhaps an older quarterback like Drew Brees.
However, it’s unlikely that any of those trades happen. No team wants to give up a pick to eat Romo’s hideous contract, so he’ll likely be released, and with Brees on the verge of history, the New Orleans Saints would be fools to trade him. So barring a miracle, Chicago isn’t getting a starting quarterback via trade.
Mike Glennon
Mike Glennon is an interesting case. He was the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for most of the 2013 season, going 4-9 while throwing for 2,600 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 13 games. These numbers aren’t outstanding, but they’re not necessarily terrible either. That puts him on a pace for a 3,210 yard, 23 touchdown, and 11 interception season. That’s a comparable season to rookie of the year, Dak Prescott, without the help of an offensive line, Ezekiel Elliott, or Dez Bryant.
Lovie Smith came to the team in 2014, and immediately put one of his playsers, Josh McCown in over Glennon. Glennon made cameos throughout the season, but as always is the case with a Lovie Smith football team, there were quarterback controversies.
The following year, the Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, and Glennon would be relegated to the bench for the rest of his time in Tampa Bay. Now he’s set to be a free agent, and there reportedly will be some interest from quarterback hungry teams.
The Chicago Bears could lure Glennon to the team for a reasonable price if he’s promised the starting job. The Bears need a quarterback, and Glennon is a no risk, all reward kind of player. There’s a chance that he’s perfectly mediocre and the team doesn’t improve, but then they’ll just be in the position to select Sam Darnold from USC. But if he’s even adequate, the Bears will have made an improvement at the offense’s most important position for the price of a figurative bag of chips.
