Emma: Bears Likely To Draft A Quarterback, Just Not With Pick No. 11
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) The Bears hope they won't be picking 11th overall in the years to come.
With the way general manager Ryan Pace is building his team, there's reason to believe the Bears are trending upward -- higher in the standings, lower in the draft order. But following Year 1 of a new regime, Chicago earned the No. 11 pick in April's draft.
Given a grand opportunity to bolster their roster with an impact player, Pace and his Bears brass are working thoroughly at each option. They may be in position to select the exhilarating running back Ezekiel Elliott or disruptive defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. Solidifying the offensive line with a Ronnie Stanley or Jack Conklin would be ideal, too.
Pace and Co. will have many ways to maneuver in picking 11th overall and can select a handful of positions to upgrade the team. One position they shouldn't dare to touch in the first round is quarterback.
Emma: Pace's plan has draft picture becoming clearer
Like a forbidden fruit, a quarterback could be waiting at No. 11. Perhaps Jared Goff or Carson Wentz falls out of the top 10 and is glaring at Chicago. Paxton Lynch is sure to be sitting on the board. Chances like these are rare, especially if the Bears plan on picking at the bottom of the first round beyond this 2016 draft.
Teams fancy at the idea of taking a top quarterback, as have the Bears in meeting with Wentz. You sit down with him, you scout his game, you leave no stone unturned and consider the possibilities. It's all part of the process, but there's still the looming chance of falling in love with the prospect.
There are too many other needs for the Bears and positions that can be more positively impacted by the right player picked at No. 11 overall. Taking a quarterback in the first round would just not make sense and sure isn't likely.
While the Bears gauged the market for Cutler and his large contract in 2015, this offseason is different. Cutler proved his worth with the right structure in place, with the coaches providing schemes that suited his game. Even with injuries all around the offense, Cutler still had his most efficient season in Chicago.
Cutler's now the centerpiece of the Bears' offensive plans, with Pace admittedly building his offense around him. For that reason, it would be stunning if Chicago took a quarterback in the first round.
"Jay knows we have extreme confidence in him," Pace said at season's end.
What's expected from the Bears is to take a quarterback anywhere after the second round. They have seven draft selections from the third round and beyond, and Pace is a proponent of taking a chance on a quarterback.
The Bears are known to have visited with seven quarterbacks -- Wentz, Dak Prescott, Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, Brandon Allen, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler.
Pace is a polished scout whose abilities to identify a mid- to late-round quarterback can be trusted. There will be some intriguing names, too.
Hackenberg, out of Penn State, will be one to watch, having finished a disappointing college career that never saw his potential realized. Perhaps new Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains could impact Hackenberg the way he did Cutler.
How about the upside of Cardale Jones or Prescott? Both rose to respective stardom in college. Jones has the rocket arm but needs development, while Prescott has the intangibles scouts love to see in a quarterback.
Hogan and Kessler are two enticing options late in the draft, with both projected to go around the sixth round.
By drafting a quarterback, the Bears would be shoring up their need for a backup behind Cutler and hoping to have found the promising young talent who will eventually overtake Cutler as the starter in the seasons to come. Even if you whiff on the pick, taking a quarterback later in the draft is a lower-risk, higher-reward venture.
If all goes to plan for Pace, the Bears won't be picking 11th overall again while he's in the general manager's office, and Cutler can build upon his efficient 2015 season as the team's franchise quarterback while Chicago simultaneously develops a younger signal-caller to take over for him.
Drafting just about anything but a quarterback makes sense for the Bears in the first round. Chicago's better off addressing more pressing needs like finding a dynamic edge rusher to complete a strong front seven or solidifying the offensive line with a tackle. Then the Bears can try to find a diamond in the rough and develop him at quarterback.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
