{"id":55673,"date":"2017-03-14T14:31:06","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T19:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=55673"},"modified":"2017-03-14T15:38:49","modified_gmt":"2017-03-14T20:38:49","slug":"did-the-bears-make-the-right-move-in-signing-mike-glennon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/did-the-bears-make-the-right-move-in-signing-mike-glennon\/","title":{"rendered":"Did the Bears make the right move in signing Mike Glennon?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Brent Schwartz<\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s NFL landscape, teams either have a franchise quarterback or they are pursuing one.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears\u2019 pursuit has led them to last week\u2019s signing of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup, Mike Glennon, who they will be paying $43.5 million over the next three years, with $14.5 million guaranteed according to NFL.com\u2019s Ian Rapoport.<\/p>\n

After paying big money for another team\u2019s backup, did the Bears make the right move?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mike Glennon deal is big, but it\u2019s essentially a one-year \u2018prove-it deal,\u2019\u201d said ESPN Insider NFL analyst Scott Kacsmar. \u201cI like him, but not sure I\u2019d bother to give him that kind of tryout over keeping Jay Cutler, who is still a better player than Glennon, or drafting a quarterback such as Deshaun Watson or Pat Mahomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glennon, 27, has just 18 NFL starts on his resume, but hasn\u2019t started the last two seasons, as he\u2019s sat behind Jameis Winston in Tampa. Now Glennon will attempt to revitalize a franchise that has faltered over the past few years\u00a0under 33-year-old Jay Cutler, who the Bears released last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve liked [Glennon]\u00a0ever since NC State,\u201d said Bears general manager Ryan Pace during a news conference. \u201cHe\u2019s a big quarterback with a strong arm. He\u2019s intelligent, he sees the field, he\u2019s accurate, and he gets the ball out quick. There\u2019s a lot of traits about him that I like, and we\u2019re really excited to have him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the reassurance from Pace, the deal seems somewhat of a panic move for the rebuilding franchise. The Bears do hold the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in May, but the draft class is not considered to have a strong group of quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Bears have many other holes to fill. Their defense lacks a Brian Urlacher or a Julius Peppers, and isn\u2019t as strong as some of their great defenses over the past 15 years.<\/p>\n

Also, the offense has gone through a talent purge over the past few seasons, with the departures of running back Matt Forte, tight end Martellus Bennett and now wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last week, so they need to retool in several other areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago has one of the more anonymous rosters in the league, and is a few seasons away from contending again,\u201d Kacsmar said.<\/p>\n

But what else could the Bears have done? The Glennon signing magnifies a shortage of quality quarterbacks in the league.<\/p>\n

One possibility the Bears could have considered was attempting a package deal to the New England Patriots for Chicago-area native Jimmy Garoppolo. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots are not expected to move Garoppolo this offseason. But if the Bears were to have offered multiple second-round picks over the next few seasons, history says Patriots coach Bill Belichick would have at least listened to the offer. Belichick loves stacking second-round draft picks. <\/a><\/p>\n

\n

In a move that will have a ripple effect on all QB-needy teams, Patriots are not expected to trade QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per league sources.<\/p>\n

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n