Bears Blitz

Published by Jeff Chase on March 13, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The pieces are coming together quickly for the Chicago Bears. The team has finally landed the other half of Jay Cutler‘s success with the Denver Broncos by acquiring the Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the Bears have landed the Pro Bowl MVP receiver in exchange for two third-round draft picks.

Major scoopage! The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms of a trade w Miami for pro bowl WR Brandon Marshall in exchange for 2 third-rounders.

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) March 13, 2012

The move certainly puts the Bears in position to make an immediate playoff push, which realistically could make the team immediate Super Bowl contenders.

Marshall hasn’t exactly had the most success since he left the Broncos in a trade before the 2010 season. Nor has Cutler, who hasn’t seen the same output since he was moved from the team before the 2009 season.

With the two now back together, the Bears finally have all the pieces they need to compete in the tough NFC North immediately.

Here is why.

Cutler And Marshall Had Their Best Seasons Together

Arguably, Cutler’s best season came in 2008, when he threw for 4,526 yards with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. While his picks were rather high, it was the total yards that he threw for that made him into the Pro Bowler he was that year.

While 2008 wasn’t Marshall’s best year, it was still one of his best. He had a total of 1,265 yards with seven touchdowns that year, and all of that success was due to Cutler’s arm.

Cutler has had some success with the Bears, as they took the NFC North in 2010. They also reached the NFC Championship game. But their lack of a true No. 1 target certainly has proven to be a weak point for the team over the years.

With the two being even more seasoned as veterans, the Bears will have two experienced players who had a ton of success together in their early years.

Devin Hester Can Go Back To Focusing On Returning

With the Bears running thin at receiver over the years, the team’s kick-returning expert in Hester has been looked upon to help contribute in the Bears’ passing game.

While the 5’11” receiving hasn’t been terrible, his results certainly haven’t been great enough to call him the No. 1 option in the Bears offense.

Since taking on a more prominent role in the offense in 2008, Hester has only scored a total of 11 touchdowns—one less than what he has done in just punt returns over his career.

By no means should Hester be removed from the passing game entirely, but with this move, he should be able to return to what he does best.

Finally A Big Option

The Bears finally have a receiver that has some height.

Marshall stands at 6’4″, which is just an inch taller than receiver Roy Williams, but that project certainly proved to not work out.

After losing tight end Greg Olsen in a trade to the Carolina Panthers last season—as the team bought into Mike Martz’ system—the team really hasn’t had a legitimate target that had some size. They have instead been relying mostly on smaller receivers, such as Hester and Johnny Knox.

However, the Bears now have the perfect combination of speed and height between their options, which should give them more opportunities in the passing game.

Not to mention, with the play of running back Matt Forte, the Bears now have options all over the field. 

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase

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