To solve QB quandary, Bears might need to double up on first-round picks

When it comes to quarterback discovery, if there is a recent history lesson the Bears should consider for the post-Jay Cutler era, it’s the Seahawks’ approach in 2012.

General manager John Schneider guaranteed $10 million in free agency to Matt Flynn, a player he knew from Green Bay, seemingly making him the starter. A month later, the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round, and they also had incumbent Tarvaris Jackson involved in the competition.

The hunch the Seahawks played with Wilson panned out sooner than they could have imagined. The plan was to cast and keep casting until they found the franchise quarterback they needed.

“Our thing was like, ‘We’re going to keep doing this bridge thing, if you will, until we find our guy,'” Schneider said.

It’s a strategy the Bears should adopt this offseason and in each subsequent one until they find their guy. They’re backed into a corner after general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox gave it a go for two seasons with Cutler.

If the Bears cannot find a trade partner for Cutler — which seems like a bit of a long shot — they’re expected to release him. On Saturday they re-signed developmental prospect Connor Shaw, an exclusive-rights free agent who spent 2016 on injured reserve after suffering a broken left leg in the third exhibition game.

Now it’s a question of what direction the Bears choose to go for a veteran when free agency kicks off at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The latest buzz has them making a push for the Buccaneers’ Mike Glennon. Brian Hoyer did a nice job of taking care of the football last season, so the Bears know what he can do and could get him for less money. The Bengals might dangle AJ McCarron in a trade.

There are a few other options, but none of them looks like the kind of addition that would reverse the franchise’s fortunes or satisfy a frustrated fan base.

Whatever direction the Bears follow for a veteran, it’s paramount they draft a quarterback to have three options, Shaw included, as they chart a new path.

That’s another choose-your-own-adventure possibility for Pace and his staff. They might deem none of the options worthy of the No. 3 pick, electing to get an impact player with a “can’t-miss” tag. That could put them in the market for Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, Ohio State safety Malik Hooker or perhaps a few others.

If they select that route, that puts them in the precarious position of trying to get a quarterback with upside at No. 36 in the second round — or maybe even in Round 3, where the odds grow even longer. With the Browns, 49ers, Jets and others in the quarterback market, that would be a considerable roll of the dice.

Maybe Pace would consider working to get a second first-round pick, provided it’s not cost-prohibitive. If the Bears moved into the back of the first round from No. 36, they could ensure they get their man, and there’s another significant benefit.

All first-round picks sign four-year contracts with a club option for a fifth year. From the second round to the end of the draft, it’s strictly four-year deals. That fifth-year option would be a tremendous cost-control mechanism in the event the Bears hit on a quarterback.

It’s a strategy the Vikings have used repeatedly in recent years with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and others, collecting late first-round picks to get added financial control. You can bet the Raiders wish they had done that in 2014, when they drafted Derek Carr at No. 36. Had he been picked in the top 32, they would be able to put off for another year his likely monster second contract.

The price to move from No. 36 into the late first round would not be too steep. Maybe Pace could trade down from No. 3 a few slots and collect additional picks, making it easier to acquire a second first-round pick. But teams aren’t often clamoring to get into the top three or willing to pay the high price to do so.

If the Bears really want a quarterback such as Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, it might require a bold move. Whatever they do, they need to cast and keep casting until they find their guy.

They stuck with Cutler too long and delayed this process. It’s time to get creative and be aggressive.

bmbiggs@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

var playlist = ‘chi_sports_bears’,
layout = ‘autoblurb’,
iu = ‘%2F4011%2Ftrb.chicagotribune%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fbears’;