Hey, remember! The Bears really need to "address the quarterback situation!" If they don't do that, well, they'll still have like six other positions to address, but anyway, we don't want to be too negative. At least the Bears are trying to find a decent quarterback. That's a start, we suppose.
The current crop of free agents is uninspiring at best. Chris Simms and Byron Leftwich are probably the two best "prospects", and neither have shown they're any better than in their days as mediocre starters. Signing one seems like a stretch -- Kyle Orton himself is mediocre. Is there really a need to devote more salary cap room to someone that's not distinctly better than what you already have?
If the Bears aren't in love with either of those options, they might have found their third way: Jeff Garcia. The aging quarterback was let go by the Buccaneers yesterday, and could be the poor man's Kurt Warner/generic veteran the team seems slightly obsessed with.
The problem? At 39, Garcia is even older than Warner. Garcia has been capable in his past few seasons, but he's hardly been the world-beater he once was with the San Fransisco 49ers. What's more, he's a classic West Coast quarterback; he thrives on short, quick passes and on scrambling to keep plays alive. How well that style would jibe with Ron Turner's decidedly un-West Coast system is anyone's guess.
Anyway, it's just a thought. The Bears have other options. None of them are particularly exciting, but you already knew that.
Eamonn Brennan is a writer, editor and blogger hunkered down in Lincoln Park. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, FanHouse, MOUTHPIECE Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com.
