The page has turned on Rex Grossman.
Unless Grossman somehow gets back in the lineup and saves the Bears’ season, the free agent to be will be playing elsewhere next year. And so the issue of utmost importance to Bears general manager Jerry Angelo is who will be the Bears’ quarterback in 2008.
There is a chance it could be Brian Griese or Kyle Orton, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. But there also is a good chance the Bears will have someone else starting at quarterback next year.
Here are the top candidates:
*Derek Anderson: The Browns quarterback who threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns in Week 2 is scheduled to become a restricted free agent.
*Brian Brohm: The Bears probably would have to be drafting high to get a shot at the Louisville quarterback. At this point Brohm looks like the only prospect you would even consider starting as a rookie.
*Daunte Culpepper: He could be the most talented quarterback available if he proves to be healthy in Oakland. Culpepper will be an unrestricted free agent but might not fit the Bears’ offense.
*Josh McCown: The journeyman will be a free agent and the Raiders are likely to let him go.
*Donovan McNabb: It’s unlikely the Chicago native will be traded or cut if coach Andy Reid remains in Philadelphia, as expected. But the Eagles did draft his potential successor this year, Kevin Kolb.
*Chad Pennington: He could be the best fit for the Bears’ offense, and the Jets might be willing to trade him if Kellen Clemens shows he can be an NFL starter.
*Jake Plummer: The 32-year old is retired but under contract with the Bucs. If he decides he wants to play again for a team other than Tampa Bay, the Bucs probably would demand a second- or third-round pick in return. The Bears made a run at Plummer when he was a free agent in 2003, but he chose Denver.
*Tony Romo: His contract is up after the year, but the Cowboys aren’t likely to let him get away. If they don’t sign him to a contract extension, they will franchise him.
*Chris Simms: He’s in coach Jon Gruden’s doghouse in Tampa and a candidate to be cut or traded. But he hasn’t proved anything.
*Billy Volek: The Chargers backup will be a free agent, and there are some who think he has the ability to be an NFL starter.
Picking and grinning
A linebacker has not had three interceptions in a game in nine years. So when Keith Bulluck picked off Drew Brees three times Monday, it understandably drew quite a bit of attention and earned him the AFC defensive player of the week award.
The interceptions make sense if you know the back story.
Bulluck, an eight-year veteran who has been to a Pro Bowl, made it a point to improve one thing this year: his pass drops. In the past, Bulluck had been known for short drops and biting on play action. Subsequently, Bulluck had developed a reputation as a bit of a gambler who might make big plays but could be exposed in pass coverage.
But that appears to have changed. Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwarz credits Bulluck’s work with linebackers coach Dave McGinnis, and the influence of Titans linebacker David Thornton, for helping make Bulluck a better pass defender. Thornton’s strength is in coverage.
“He also knows he has some good players around him now,” Schwarz says. “He doesn’t feel he has to cover up for others — he knows he can trust his teammates to do their jobs. So he’s getting good depth, being patient and using his long arms to create problems.”
A better idea?
Most teams have taken to rotating defensive linemen, but the Lions are trying something few teams have done — rotating cornerbacks.
In a league where there are few stars at cornerback, the idea makes sense.
In the off-season the Lions traded their most accomplished cornerback, Dre Bly, to the Broncos. They signed free agent Travis Fisher from the Rams and made him one of four corners who split time. Fernando Bryant and Stanley Wilson have been starting, while Fisher and Keith Smith rotate in.
The advantages of rotating?
“It keeps everybody fresh,” coach Rod Marinelli says. “I think we’re equal there anyway. And this way they all can play special teams, [except Bryant], so it helps us there too.”
Could be the beginning of a trend.
Singletary’s move
Former Bear Mike Singletary could be poised to become a head coach as soon as January. After being interviewed by five teams and not getting an offer, the assistant head coach of the 49ers is trying a new approach.
Over the summer, he hired agent Bob Lamonte, who has represented more head coaches than anyone.
“It would not matter who Mike Singletary had representing him,” Lamonte says. “The next time around he will be a head coach in the NFL in my humble opinion. The only thing I have to do is put a pretty dress on a pretty girl.”
Among Lamonte’s clients: Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, Eagles coach Reid, Panthers coach John Fox, Bucs coach Gruden and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
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dpompei@tribune.com
