Since the Bears' season is over and draft talk starts, the QB question inevitably will come up....especially since Kyle Orton didn't prove enough this year to ignore the question.
Then there's the talk of what round to take the QB and 1st round qbs aren't worth it and quarterback play is down in the NFL anyway and no that many teams have a franchise qb anyway and lots of other run on sentences as well. But is it REALLY that difficult ot find a good quarterback?
Here's a list of what may be considered "franchise" qbs playing now:
 Philip Rivers
 Kurt Warner
 Drew Brees
 Peyton Manning
 Aaron Rodgers
 Tony Romo
 Matt Ryan
 Eli Manning
 Donovan McNabb
 Jay Cutler
 Brett Favre
 Ben Roethlisberger

That's 12!

I haven't even mentioned Tom Brady or Carson Palmer. So if you count Brady, Palmer that makes 14 "franchise-level" quarterbacks in the league! That's almost half the freaking league. If you toss in the 2nd tier guys, which we don't even have that, then it's even worse. I know these things change from year to year, but every team in the NFL has at least had a decent quarterback for at least a year or so (some more than 1) in the last 10 years except for the Bears...and the Lions too, but hey, they're the Lions, they don't count.
I'm tired of hearing how difficult it is...No shit its difficult!! that's why GMs make so much f*&%$ng money....if you wanna bitch about it, then you might consider finding a new job, otherwise get me my f*&^ng quarterback!

9 out of those 12 were first round picks. the Bears don't do that...

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@audioidkid

Favre only belongs on that list if he doesnt have to play in the cold.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

8 out of 12...the Bears drafted Cade and Rex in the 1st round too. But that's not the point. The point is simply that it's being done seemingly by almost every other team. Whether it's with a 1st round, 7th round or free agent, the Bears just don't get it done. They're in love with the idea of finding a guy that could manage the offense (what offense?). I'm sorry, that's just a pussy way to run a team.

When will everybody realize that QB play is way down on the list of reasons that the Bears did not make the playoffs in 2008?

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I'm not looking for any explanations for 2008 or before, it's over. I'm looking for ways to win in '09 and beyond.

You might as well realize right now, Orton will be the starting QB next year.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

He most likely will, and I know that. Do you realize he's not a franchise quarterback?

I agree he isn't. But he was not the major problem with this team.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Who here is saying he was? I'm just saying that it's not as difficult as they make it seem to find a good quarterback...at least if you're trying to find one anyway.

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Seriously?

I agree with WestmontMike for the most part. Its ridiculous that the Bears can never find one for all of our entire lifetimes and before that even.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Orton is not the QB I want, but I do not see any franchise QBs out there for us to be getting right now. So they should be focusing on making upgrades in other areas.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

McNabb?

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Seriously?

I agree with this for the most part, but you always need to be looking for a franchise QB at any time. Anyways, I havent seen alot of Bears games, but this was Orton's first full season starting + training camp and preseason. Did he play worse than his stats indicate? Considering his very less than stellar supporting cast on offense, I dont think anyone can be too upset with 18 tds 12 INTs 80 QB rating.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I would gladly take him. But it is like the idea out there for Boldin. I would love to have both, but realistically the Bears will not do it.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Once again I want an open competition for QB this year. I can accept Orton next year if he truly wins the spot. If they annoint him as they did Rex year after year, I have a serious problem.

8 out of 12, 9 out of 12...whatever.

the problem is that the Bears brass lack the balls to start a rookie at QB unless they have to. so, then the rookie sits for a year or two or three, they know dick about him. the Bears then sign him long-term b/c he "knows the system" but it still at best 50/50 since he never played year one or two.

Orton is a little different, but not by a whole heck of a lot. You need another year with Orton to be certain, but by then you'll know....and you'll be screwed b/c of $$$ or screwed b/c there is nobody waiting in the wings. The Bears need to go 2-14 before anything happens.

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@audioidkid

Against who tho? Grossman? Hanie?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

exactly, isn't that what i said?

8 out of 12, yeah...you said that.

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@audioidkid

8 out of 12...that's one of my better posts.
But your point about them having no balls to start a rookie because they have no idea WTF they're doing is dead on. They convince this city every year that it's safer just to keep what we have now for next year rather than risk it on an unknown. Well f*&k that, this team isn't gonna be anything but mediocre if they continue to try and fill every gap other than at quarterback. They need to grow a pair and try to win and stop trying to not lose.

they need to draft a QB this year. and a LB and a DB or three, and a DE, DL, OL, WR, and bruiser RB to complement Forte....what else?

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@audioidkid

I'm all behind the "we need a franchise QB" idea- I've said before that a hall of fame QB is pretty much the only to ensure success in the NFL- but this draft isn't the time to do it. You could half-ass it with some marginal late pick, but I don't know that really gets you anywhere. In the meantime, you're at least getting adequate production out of your starter, who you have under contract for one more year. You can't say the same thing about the WR position, and you really, really need a DE as well.

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Fire Phil Emery

I can. Orton can't complete a pass over 20 yards in the air and he's rarely close. Maybe that's because of his ankle but I doubt it.

That inability nullifies the only big play threat they have and the only aspect of Devin Hester at WR that is attractive. He was missing Hester by 8 yards downfield yesterday. Hester would have another 4 TDs minimum if Orton could just put some air under the ball and lead Hester.

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You know me like that.

That's funny, I was gonna mention your thread about the franchise qb but I didn't think you'd remember. But I'm definitely convinced of the idea now.

Yeah but didnt people have the same criticism of Chad Pennington. In the right system it seems like Orton can be an effective starter. He's not a franchise QB but he's better than anyone the Bears have had in a long time it seems.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I'll admit he's serviceable to average. I even thought he might be better than that earlier in the year.

But now I'm forced to admit that he is more toward the serviceable end. He won't be tragically bad very often and will even less often be untragically great. Pennington is weak-armed but tremendously accurate. I didn't see that from Orton. With better receivers, his stats could improve, but his inability to get anything upfield makes Hester ineffective. Either give up on the Hester experiment or find someone who can throw him the ball when he's running 3 yards clear 30 yards downfield.

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You know me like that.

I agree that his limitations somewhat detract from Hester's ability to realize his potential as a starting WR. Still, you have to assume he's gonna be the starter next year unless you are gonna find your franchise QB in the mid-first round, which is possible but something I dont think Angelo has the balls to do considering how many other areas need improvement first. I think they need to try to find an elite pass rusher if thats possible before looking to upgrade the QB position, unless there is a QB available that looks like a franchise QB.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Do you really trust Angelo picking a QB in the first round?