There you have it, Jay Cutler.
The band is back together: Cutler on lead vocals, newly acquired Brandon Marshall on the guitars and Jeremy Bates as manager. But a three-man crew is not enough — not in a band and definitely not on the Chicago Bears, a team with uncertainty at many positions.
The biggest question mark is at left tackle, the most important position on the offensive line.
The Bears announced the trade for Pro Bowl wide receiver Marshall from the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday during the first hour of free agency. But while Marshall will fill a crucial hole on the offense, the Bears are a long way from being that Super Bowl or bust team.
This steal does not guarantee the Bears anything, but it does say that new general manager Phil Emery is committed to building offense — something many successful teams last year were built upon.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The trade reunites Cutler and Marshall from their glory days as members of the Denver Broncos. Marshall was Cutler’s primary target during that stretch, setting career-highs in receiving yards and receptions in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Marshall is also a unique specimen — a 6-foot-4 receiver who is one of the tougher players to bring down, according to many of his opponents. But even with the acquisition, Chicago still has gaping holes that need to be addressed this offseason. Building a top-tier team will require Emery to find more than an all-pro wide receiver to complement his quarterback.
Emery now needs to shift his attention to the offensive line — a position that former general manager Jerry Angelo had ignored.
The success of this position, which is arguably more important than Marshall and his abilities to catch the ball, will impact Cutler in almost every aspect of the game.
Even though the offensive line did allow almost 50 sacks last year — six fewer than the year before — numbers still show that there needs to be improvement with the group, including the second-string, especially because the Bears have had to juggle the line around in recent years due to injuries and inconsistent play.
During free agency and even the draft, the Bears need some young help to complement the older, more injury-prone players. A key factor in that decision is how Emery evaluates the left side, starting with offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb. He showed promising signs last year, but struggled with sacks and penalties when it really mattered, most notably against Jared Allen late in the year.
With the lack of clutch play, Webb has proven that the left side needs to be a priority for Emery this offseason. Only with this position secured can Marshall’s true value be uncovered.
In Chicago, Marshall will again be Cutler’s go-to guy.
He brings some chemistry to the offense, which has been lacking a true No. 1 receiver. Last year, the Bears’ receivers only caught nine touchdowns — the same number produced by running backs and tight ends on the team. But they don’t get all the blame.
Good offense starts with a solid offensive line that could pave way for other key positions to succeed. Recent linemen have limited the Bears to a defense-first philosophy, which seems like a thing of the old.
While Angelo was hesitant to spend money on the line, something about this move tells us that Emery has a totally different attitude.
The Bears’ postseason chances depend on it.
_Darshan is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @drshnpatel._