The peripatetic world of pro football can create plenty of opportunities for old relationships to be rekindled. And it’s rarely difficult to connect the dots when a veteran player becomes available.
Marc Bulger, an unrestricted free agent, is in need of a team for the 2010 season.
For quarterback Marc Bulger, the most obvious line between point A and point B leads from St. Louis to Chicago, where former Rams head coach Mike Martz has secured, after roughly a half-dozen candidates declined, the position of offensive coordinator. It probably would sound a bit hyperbolic to claim that the fate of the entire coaching staff, and possibly all of the front office, rides on Martz’s ability to get the most out of Jay Cutler, the man whom Martz criticized pointedly on NFL Network after a Week 1 loss to the Packers last September. Yes, it would sound a bit hyperbolic, but it nevertheless would be accurate.
Charged with the task of saving multiple bundles of bacon, Martz surely would like to have Bulger available, as a "break glass in the event of an emergency"-style option to the starter. And that emergency wouldn’t necessarily come from an injury to Cutler. If the Bears are cursed with a tough early-season schedule, and if the Cutler-Martz connection isn’t able to carry the team to a sufficient number of wins, Martz may need to turn to a quarterback who understands Martz’s 700-page playbook and stubborn determination to cram square pegs into round holes.
That quarterback would be Marc Bulger.
As the saying goes, a backup quarterback often becomes the most popular player in an NFL town. Now that the Bears have followed up a disappointing season by increasing expectations via a misguided free-agency splurge, a slow start from the team generally and Cutler specifically would spark widespread clamoring for Bulger to get a shot to turn things around. Within the walls of Halas Hall, Martz likewise would be cajoling good friend Lovie Smith to make the switch to Bulger, in the hopes of saving the season — and everyone’s jobs.
At that point, things would get very interesting. General manager Jerry Angelo made the decision to trade for Cutler. Benching Cutler less than two seasons into the experiment that cost two first-round draft picks (and a long-term contract) would constitute an admission by Angelo that he screwed up, and that would put Angelo squarely in line for termination if Bulger doesn’t take the team to the postseason.
For that reason, look for Angelo to resist stubbornly any flirtation with Bulger, no matter how hard Martz or Smith may encourage the move. Angelo realizes that not having a veteran quarterback with name recognition, a mixed history of success, and a high degree of familiarity with Martz’s offensive system lurking on the sidelines means that Angelo never will be pressured to allow Smith to use a veteran quarterback with name recognition, a mixed history of success, and a high degree of familiarity with Martz’s offensive system, no matter how badly Cutler might play early in the 2010 season.
So even though the Bears would like to complement Cutler and backups Brett Basanez and Caleb Hanie with a veteran, Angelo will want a veteran who won’t be in position to provide obvious fodder for the fans and the media, if the Bears struggle out of the gates. With Angelo likely believing he has a fighting chance to survive a postseason pink-slip party if Cutler remains under center all year and the Bears miss the tournament for the fourth straight year, Angelo won’t want to risk his own rear end by planting Cutler on his.
Then again, the best interests of the organization require having someone like Bulger available, in the event that Cutler can’t get it done. But, in this regard, the team’s best interests conflict with Angelo’s.
So keep an eye on Chicago in the short term. I’ve got a feeling that Martz, and thus Smith, want Bulger. And I’ve got an even stronger feeling that he’s the last guy Angelo wants to sign.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
The peripatetic world of pro football can create plenty of opportunities for old relationships to be rekindled. And it’s rarely difficult to connect the dots when a veteran player becomes available.
Marc Bulger, an unrestricted free agent, is in need of a team for the 2010 season.
For quarterback Marc Bulger, the most obvious line between point A and point B leads from St. Louis to Chicago, where former Rams head coach Mike Martz has secured, after roughly a half-dozen candidates declined, the position of offensive coordinator. It probably would sound a bit hyperbolic to claim that the fate of the entire coaching staff, and possibly all of the front office, rides on Martz’s ability to get the most out of Jay Cutler, the man whom Martz criticized pointedly on NFL Network after a Week 1 loss to the Packers last September. Yes, it would sound a bit hyperbolic, but it nevertheless would be accurate.
Charged with the task of saving multiple bundles of bacon, Martz surely would like to have Bulger available, as a "break glass in the event of an emergency"-style option to the starter. And that emergency wouldn’t necessarily come from an injury to Cutler. If the Bears are cursed with a tough early-season schedule, and if the Cutler-Martz connection isn’t able to carry the team to a sufficient number of wins, Martz may need to turn to a quarterback who understands Martz’s 700-page playbook and stubborn determination to cram square pegs into round holes.
That quarterback would be Marc Bulger.
As the saying goes, a backup quarterback often becomes the most popular player in an NFL town. Now that the Bears have followed up a disappointing season by increasing expectations via a misguided free-agency splurge, a slow start from the team generally and Cutler specifically would spark widespread clamoring for Bulger to get a shot to turn things around. Within the walls of Halas Hall, Martz likewise would be cajoling good friend Lovie Smith to make the switch to Bulger, in the hopes of saving the season — and everyone’s jobs.
At that point, things would get very interesting. General manager Jerry Angelo made the decision to trade for Cutler. Benching Cutler less than two seasons into the experiment that cost two first-round draft picks (and a long-term contract) would constitute an admission by Angelo that he screwed up, and that would put Angelo squarely in line for termination if Bulger doesn’t take the team to the postseason.
For that reason, look for Angelo to resist stubbornly any flirtation with Bulger, no matter how hard Martz or Smith may encourage the move. Angelo realizes that not having a veteran quarterback with name recognition, a mixed history of success, and a high degree of familiarity with Martz’s offensive system lurking on the sidelines means that Angelo never will be pressured to allow Smith to use a veteran quarterback with name recognition, a mixed history of success, and a high degree of familiarity with Martz’s offensive system, no matter how badly Cutler might play early in the 2010 season.
So even though the Bears would like to complement Cutler and backups Brett Basanez and Caleb Hanie with a veteran, Angelo will want a veteran who won’t be in position to provide obvious fodder for the fans and the media, if the Bears struggle out of the gates. With Angelo likely believing he has a fighting chance to survive a postseason pink-slip party if Cutler remains under center all year and the Bears miss the tournament for the fourth straight year, Angelo won’t want to risk his own rear end by planting Cutler on his.
Then again, the best interests of the organization require having someone like Bulger available, in the event that Cutler can’t get it done. But, in this regard, the team’s best interests conflict with Angelo’s.
So keep an eye on Chicago in the short term. I’ve got a feeling that Martz, and thus Smith, want Bulger. And I’ve got an even stronger feeling that he’s the last guy Angelo wants to sign.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
