The Bears filled their offensive coordinator vacancy with the hiring of Bill Lazor, who served in the same position with the Bengals (2017-18) and Dolphins (2014-15), and there’s already speculation that he could reunite with a former quarterback in Chicago.
There was an almost instant connection between Lazor and one of the quarterbacks he worked with in the Bengals’ Andy Dalton. Cincinnati is almost certainly going to select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick, which means that they’re likely looking for a trading partner to save the $17.7 million in salary cap space.
The Bears are in a position that, at this time last year, not many expected. Uncertainty surrounding the future of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky following regression in his third season.
While general manager Ryan Pace has remained steadfast in his commitment to Trubisky as the 2020 starter, a lot can change between an end-of-year press conference and the start of the regular season. At the very least, the days of Chase Daniel as backup quarterback are over. The Bears need to bring in competition for Trubisky this offseason, whether that’s an NFL veteran in free agency and/or a young prospect through the NFL Draft.
Chicago is definitely in the market for a veteran quarterback this offseason, and Dalton could fit the bill. And given Cincinnati looks to be moving on from him, it likely wouldn’t cost much. The Bears should settle for nothing higher than a Day 3 draft pick.
