For whatever reason, few have been paying attention to the drama currently unfolding in Chicago. While most members of the Bears' coaching staff feel Kyle Orton is the clear-cut franchise quarterback, general manger Jerry Angelo has hesitated in rewarding Orton's solid season with a new deal, extending his contract that runs out after next season.
Lovie Smith, in the Chicago Sun-Times, said this:
'I didn't hear exactly what all was said, but Jerry believes in Kyle,'' Smith said. ''What Ron has said, what we have said, what I said five minutes after our last game, is that we feel good about Kyle. We can't wait to get him back on the field again when he is healthy.
''He is our quarterback. And he's going to play better than he did this past year, like all of us are going to do a better job than we did this past year. Kyle will be leading us.''
What a shock, the cliche “He is our quarterback” line said countless times in the Rex Grossman era brought out once again.
Looking at Orton's numbers, it's understandable why Angelo might be scared of the consequences of completely putting the team in the hands of Orton with no fallback options. He still makes far too many mistakes for someone with his experience and completed just 58.5% of his passes in 2008. However, consider the weapons Orton lacks. Basically, he had a rookie running back who would catch passes out of the backfield and Devin Hester. Angelo should really be focusing on adding a halfway-decent wide receiver in order to give Orton a greater chance to succeed. The Bears have been looking for a quarterback a long time, and while Orton may not be ideal, he's good enough for now.
But, regardless, Angelo will search the free agent market for a backup who could, in the event Orton falters or is not offered a new contract and walks, start.
The Sun-Times lists Byron Leftwich and Chris Simms as possible options, with Simms being the clear favorite. Does Angelo really think either one are better than Orton? Simms hasn't started since he ruptured his spleen, and Leftwich has failed in many oppurtunities. If he does, his quarterback evaluating talent, already known as very bad, are downright ugly.
