How Does Jay Cutler affect the Chicago Bears Offense in 2009?

Jay Cutler has the ability to completely transform the Bears offense.

On April 2, 2009, the Bears offense was instantly upgraded with the additions of Pro Bowl Quarterback Jay Cutler and former pro bowler left tackle Orlando Pace. Though they paid a steep price to get him (2 first round picks, a 3rd round pick, and Kyle Orton), he could prove to be worth it this season. Not only does Cutler have excellent tangibles, like a rocket arm and surprisingly nimble feet, but he has also proven that he has the intangibles like field awareness and leadership. A lot of people question Cutler’s leadership after everything that happened which led to the Broncos trading Cutler, but ask anyone who has played with Cutler and they will tell you that he knows how to be a great leader and how to get the best out of all his teammates. Bears GM Jerry Angelo has been saying for years now that the quarterback makes the receivers, and this year is Angelo’s year to prove that what he said is true. Cutler has the arm strength to throw Devin Hester the deep ball a lot better than Kyle Orton did last year. It entirely possible that Cutler could transform Hester into the next Steve Smith. Hester is still a work in progress, but he’s been working hard this offseason, and its beginning to show. Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake says that Hester “continues to make strides” this offseason, but he needs to continue to work on “reading coverages”. Hester is definitely going to surprise some people this year and he’s well worth drafting in the mid to late rounds.

Matt Forte should also benefit from Jay Cutler’s presence. Forte faced 8 man fronts all season and was still able to post great numbers. With teams having to respect Jay Cutler’s arm, Forte should be facing far fewer 8 man fronts. Look for his rushing totals to go up next year. Forte will likely be a top 5 pick in most drafts.

Greg Olsen is another person who’s numbers should shoot up next season. He posted strong totals with 574 yards and 5 touchdowns in only 7 starts last season. This season, Olsen will be a lot more involved in the offense, as we already know Cutler loves to throw to his tight ends. Olsen is a big and fast target who is capable of dominating games at times.

Someone that seems to be forgotten a lot is Earl Bennett. Bennett was Cutler’s favorite target at Vanderbilt before he was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Bennett had trouble memorizing plays last year and didn’t get any playing time until the last few games. In those games, he had no receptions. So its easy to see why so many people are down on Earl Bennett. But in OTAs, Bennett has stopped thinking and started playing. He’s a lot more comfortable with the offense and catches anything near him. He will make an impact next year if he can win the starting job in camp.

Rookies – The Bears drafted 3 rookie Wide Receivers (WRs) in the 2009 NFL Draft: Juaquin Iglesias in the 3rd round, Johnny Knox in the 5th round, and Derek Kinder in the 7th. Of the trio, Johnny Knox performed the best in OTAs. Knox wowed the coaches with his game-breaking speed and his sticky hands. If Knox can learn the offense quickly, he has a chance to make an impact in his rookie season. Iglesias has also shown coaches why they drafted him. He’s a crisp route runner with good hands and could make an impact as a 4th or 5th receiver.

The wildcard of the Bear’s receivers is little known (outside of Bears fans) Brandon Rideau. Rideau is the biggest receiver the bears have at 6 foot 3″ and 200 pounds. He was spotted working with the first team offense in OTAs and if he learns the plays on time, he could win the starting job ahead of Bennett. The problem is that Rideau has struggled to make it the roster in recent years despite looking good in the offseason. Last year in the preseason, he tied the lead for touchdown (TD) catches with 3, but didn’t make the active roster until midseason. He’s a big play threat, so if he is able to learn the offense and continue to play well, he will get playing time.

Time will tell if Cutler really is the Bear’s first franchise quarterback in the last 50+ years, but I have a feeling that he is.