Now that the season is over, we can officially start to analyze the Bear's roster one position at a time (no matter how painful that can be). And what better place to start at then the position of all positions: quarterback.

For more than 20 years now, the Bears have been the laughing stock of the NFL at the quarterback position. A couple of years ago, former first-round draft pick Rex Grossman looked to be the answer to all of the Bears problems until he showed us that he could not stay consistent. Then Kyle Orton stepped in, he flashed signs of hope. Unfortunately an ankle injury set him back a ton. So who would've called GM Jerry Angelo would pull the biggest trade in Chicago Bears history? Now, the weight of a franchise lies on a young, big-mouthed, big-armed quarterback, Jay Cutler.

JAY CUTLER OVERVIEW- Yes, Jay Cutler had a rocky start in Chicago. In week one against Green Bay Cutler completely embarrassed himself in front of the entire nation by throwing four of the ugliest interceptions you will ever see. It seemed as though things couldn't have gotten worse. Cutler would later say in a press conference, "That'll never happen again". Jay responded to the media and fans by leading back to incredible back fourth quarter comebacks... And then it got bad again. Cutler threw interception after interception, some not his fault but then again...he threw it. He blew the Bears chances to win several key games early in the season including a horrific 5-interception game against the 49ers. Cutler was also unable to respond in blowouts to the Bengals, Cardinals, Vikings and Ravens. In the final two games, however, Cutler had stellar outings. Cutler flashed his true accuracy, arm strength, athleticism and decision making against a rock solid Viking's defense and again against the bottom-feeding Lions.
JAY CUTLER'S FUTURE- There is no doubting Cutlers raw skills, he was born to play the quarterback position. But at the same time Cutler needs to learn how to make better decisions and how to carry himself on and off the field. Cutler is the answer to quarterback and for years to come due to the amount of potential he has. He can only get better.

CALEB HANIE- Hanie has been a preseason favorite for the past two years. He was an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State. He has played very well in his preseason games and shows a lot of potential. He resembles a young(er) Jay Cutler. Big arm, good on the run, tough and athletic. But Hanie has been used sparingly in regular season games. He only took 7 snaps, completed 3 of those and tack on an ugly interception...not the kind of numbers you'd like to hear.
CALEB HANIES' FUTURE- Hanie seems to have a lot of potential to be a solid backup in the NFL. But is potential worth anything if you've barely ever played? Can we really trust Hanie to step in if something happens to Cutler? Still think its worth it for the Bears to keep him given the durability of Cutler.

BRETT BASANEZ- Seemed to be the next great quarterback when he was at Northwestern. Basanez has not shown he can perform efficiently and consistently enough to keep his spot on the practice squad. In fact, its possible that he's not eligible for the practice squad anymore after being active for the last game of the season.

OUTLOOK: Don't be surprised if the Bears sign a veteran quarterback to add some experience to this young corpse of play-callers. It would also make sense to sign a veteran to have a proven backup on hand. Can't see the Bears drafting a quarterback, especially since they have a limited amount of draft picks and a lot of other needs.


Stay tuned for the Running Back edition.

Go Bears