Peter King of the MMQB, one of the most respected football columnists in the business, liked the signing of Glennon. Specifically he liked how his deal was structured. It gave the young man a good pay day for 2017, but gave the Bears a chance to move on in 2018 if they wished. Thus this year is basically an audition for the 27-year old.
“I actually think the Bears did a good deal—relatively—with Mike Glennon, now that the numbers are out. It’s $16 million guaranteed in year one, and then only $2.5 million guaranteed after that in a three-year deal. Glennon has 2017 to prove he’s a good starter, or the Bears will go QB-prospecting again in 2018. And it’s no lock they won’t take a passer high in this draft either.”
Given the way the Bears have attacked free agency the past few days, it’s difficult to see them going for a quarterback with the #3 overall pick. Not after signing Glennon and with John Fox having a reputation for never taking rookies QBs that high. At the same time when one digs a little deeper, a potential plan emerges. One that seems remarkably intricate. It involves a young man from Ohio named Mitchell Trubisky. Somebody that Charlie Campbell of Walter Football continues to insist is on the Bears’ radar.
Not only that, but also the fact that Glennon is viewed as merely the placeholder.
“The Bears grab a potential franchise quarterback to build around. There is scuttlebutt that Chicago loves Trubisky, and Mike Glennon could be their bridge quarterback until Trubisky is ready to play.”
There are several things that make this an interesting theory. For starters, the general consensus around NFL circles is that Trubisky might be the most complete of the quarterback prospects in this class. However, he also is the least prepared or experienced. Of the top four quarterbacks in this class, Trubisky comes in dead last with just 13 games started in his college career.
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Throwing him from that into the NFL fires as a rookie would be a death sentence. It will take a season at least to acclimate him to pro-level speeds and complexities. Thus it would be wise if a team interested in him had a veteran in place who could buy them time. Somebody like, say, a former backup with 18 career starts under his belt.
