NEWSLETTER
A pair of former Chicago Bears starting quarterbacks headline a list of the NFL’s most suspect offseason signings.
Over at NFL.com, Gregg Rosenthal put together a list of the shakiest offseason additions through four weeks. Near the top of the list are two names near and dear to the hearts of Bears fans – Jay Cutler and Mike Glennon.
After posting a 101.8 passer rating in his debut with the Miami Dolphins, Cutler’s team has been shut out in consecutive weeks by the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. It’s not as if Cutler was facing the 1985 Bears or 2000 Ravens, so to see him struggle in those games should be considered a major disappointment for a team that entered the season with playoff dreams. To make matters worse, Cutler’s struggles haven’t allowed the Dolphins to capitalize on a rare slow start from the New England Patriots.
While it could still be too early to make a grand pronouncement regarding Cutler’s 2017 season, disappointment isn’t a new concept for anyone who has followed the quarterback’s career.
And then there is Glennon, whose signing is already considered the biggest mistake of the offseason.
The Bears front office had the right idea in trying to sign an experienced quarterback with a little bit of upside to hold down the position until a long-term solution landed at Halas Hall. Unfortunately for the Bears, the worst-case scenario played out for Glennon as his lack of mobility and poor decision-making led to eight turnovers in his last three starts. Injuries to the team’s starting receivers thinned out an already lackluster group and didn’t make things any easier for Glennon. But make no mistake, the costly interceptions and fumbles directly led to Glennon’s demotion and Mitch Trubisky’s rise to QB1.
If you’re looking for the best offseason moves, you won’t have to look too hard, too far, or for too long.
Rosenthal lists the Detroit Lions signing a pair of offensive linemen as two offseason additions that have worked out well. Tackle Rick Wagner and guard T.J. Lang have solidified an offensive line that has been downright awful in recent years. Lang is the sixth highest-graded guard at Pro Football Focus through four weeks, while Wagner checks out with the 16th best grade among tackles at PFF.
With all that said, you could make the argument that the only offseason move that matters for the Bears was drafting Trubisky. If he lives up to the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 2 overall pick, then Glennon’s time in Chicago will be a footnote in Bears history. And if he doesn’t, we could be looking at an all-time worst when it comes to offseason acquisitions.
