During an appearance Monday at a Chicago school, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler looked lean and sounded upbeat about an array of topics, from his weapons to his position coach to the impending arrival of his first child.
Yet he seemed to confirm a potential problem that could threaten a championship run in 2012: the offensive line.
“You know, the offensive line is definitely going to be a concern and seeing where those guys are going to fit in and seeing what five we go with,” Cutler said when asked a general question about the excitement for the upcoming season. “If Gabe [Carimi] comes back, if J’Marcus [Webb] pans out. Where are we going to put Chris Williams? There are some question marks there. Until we really get that resolved and get our front five settled in, we’ve got some work to do on offense.”
Cutler isn’t questioning the lack of an upgrade, but he isn’t going along with the optimism expressed by coach Lovie Smith, general manager Phil Emery and offensive coordinator Mike Tice in recent weeks, either.
Cutler, who was sacked an astounding 75 times in the last 25 games, didn’t even jump at a chance to soften his take on the offensive line when asked if the new offense — which won’t put as much pressure on the line as Mike Martz’s did the last two seasons — would help the beleaguered unit.
“It helps some, but it’s not a cure all by any means,” Cutler said. “They’re still going to be asked to protect. There are going to be times it’s third-and-eight, third-and-10 and we’re going to have to take seven-step drops and we’re going to have the longer route and they’re going to have to protect.”
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