Nov. 05--It's a fun time to be strapped into the Jay Cutler Roller Coaster. There haven't been as many stomach-churning lows as last season, and Alshon Jeffery's return to health has been a turbo booster. Even the Bears coaching staff has appreciated a smoother ride than expected.
In dissecting Sunday's loss to the Vikings, Cutler wasn't on the list of culprits. Most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over. It's the first time he could say that this season and only the sixth time in 32 starts since Lovie Smith was fired.
The contrast between Cutler's best game under new coordinator Adam Gase and the defense's fourth-quarter surrender highlights one of the most important roster-building questions facing general manager Ryan Pace.
Can Cutler lower where quarterback ranks on the Bears' list of needs, especially given their dearth of defensive game-changers?
On the surface, Cutler is playing like a quarterback the Bears can live with -- maybe even thrive with -- while the front office sinks valuable player-acquisition resources into boosting the talent level on defense.
But in trying to assess the Bears' quarterback situation through Pace's eyes, it's imperative we're mindful of what lens he's looking through.
Drew Brees is Pace's standard.
From the nine years Pace spent with Brees in New Orleans, he grew accustomed to life with a championship-caliber quarterback, a leader who was the reason the team won games and a marksman who could overcome the Saints' defensive shortcomings.
"I witnessed things with Drew Brees that I have in my mind, that I know why he was successful," Pace said on Jan. 9, one of eight times he mentioned Brees at his introductory news conference. "Those are ingrained in me."
Ingrained. Underline and boldface that word. Brees is part of Pace's fiber as an evaluator. Pace knows the juice of having that guy, which is why he'll measure every quarterback option against the Saints' star.
Of course, Drew Breeses are hard to find, especially in an era of college football in which many quarterbacks aren't required to read the field to the extent they must in the NFL.
But Pace would be selling the Bears short by not striving for and upholding that standard.
His firsthand experience with Brees will only help him discern which quarterback prospect is the right one for the Bears. In that pursuit, it's critical for him to balance whatever urgency he feels with the patience necessary to make the correct choice.
If Pace has an opportunity to acquire (read: draft) the quarterback he believes in, one that passes the Brees Comparison, then he has to make that move. No defensive need would trump a quarterback of that caliber. At that point, then, it would become a matter of whether Pace evaluated the player correctly.
He already has scouted Cal's Jared Goff and Michigan State's Connor Cook in person this season. Those efforts make sense regardless of how Cutler has played.
Pace has the flexibility to keep Cutler on the roster next season in addition to a quarterback prospect of his choice. Retaining Cutler amounts to the Bears exercising a $6 million option because $10 million of his $16 million base salary for 2016 already is guaranteed.
That's an attractive cost for a quarterback who has shown signs of ascending under Gase.
At 32, Cutler has endeared himself to this team with his toughness, competitiveness, dedication, athleticism and spurts of productivity.
On the downside, Cutler's footwork, mechanics and vision have familiarly broken down at times to produce the misfires and turnovers that made previous regimes nauseous.
In his brightest moments, he has made a few Brees-esque throws, like his 22-yard drop-in-the-bucket touchdown to Marquess Wilson in Kansas City.
Five and a half games into the new offense, Cutler is becoming more comfortable with pre-snap protection calls. That has helped the entire offense, especially with injuries affecting the line.
From an evaluation standpoint, Cutler has played well enough to add value to the second half of the season. The final nine games are an opportunity for Pace to remain immersed in assessing Cutler's progression without dwelling on whatever decision awaits him months from now.
He can pull down his harness, throw his hands high and enjoy the ride, confident in what he wants to see at the end.
rcampbell@tribpub.com
