Sign Orton to a long term deal now?

[dougthonus]

CTS4E and I started discussing Orton's future a bit in the post game thread, so i figured I'd split out a new topic on it.

Do you sign Orton to a long term deal this off season?

Pro side:
Cheaper than waiting a year if he's solid next year. He's really working with a crap set of WRs, and if we upgrade at that position he should be improved

Cons:
No guarantee he'll be any good in the future. Like Grossman he played well early and has played poorly to end the season (though not to the extremes Grossman). Even at his best this year, he wasn't great often and was mostly just good.

[dougthonus]

I suppose it has to depend somewhat on the money involved too as all things to, but to simplify it do you want to commit to Orton now?

[Chewie]

I don't really even want to go through another season with Neckbeard at the helm. I'd make a decision this off-season one way or another.

Options :

A) Start from scratch and go QB early in the draft and hope you stumble on a Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco. Suffice to say, though, we're not adept at drafting talent at the QB position. This is waaaay too ballsy for the Bears to do.

B) If you decide the team is ready to win now with a few tweaks but Orton isn't the guy for the job then you've either got to go with Cassel or Garcia in free agency. I know Cassel's put up big numbers but you've got to question whether it's the brilliance of NE's system or if he is - indeed - legit. If Brady's not ready for next season, Cassel's put himself in line for a big contract with NE, though, and he's not going anywhere. Garcia's going to be 39 in February (!) so he'd be a one year option that allows you to compete in 2009 at a higher level than what Orton brings while you bring a young guy along to learn the ropes.

C) Let Orton play out the final yr of his contract to prove his worth.

But I expect the Bears to go with option....

D) Sign Orton to a reasonable deal (who exactly will they be bidding against ?!?) and try to put some more offensive talent around him. Coaches and GMs want to win now for their job's sake and Orton has shown enough glimpses that our brass will want to see more if the price is right. Angelo will think to himself, "The Orton/Grossman combo took us to the dance once before, right ?"

I'm more of an A) or B) guy myself. I'm absolutely starving for a stud QB and you can't tell me the search ends with Orton. We deserve better. To go into next season with Orton just tells me we're prepared to settle for mediocrity at the QB position. This was supposed to be the year he showed us whether he's ready and I think we all still have big questions.

[Posey H8er]

I think it would be much too risky to sign him right now. Orton looked great earlier this season but has played average since his ankle injury. I want to see more of him next year, preferably with some offensive talent at wide receiver.

As a Bears fan it is not wise to jump on the QB bandwagon early. I never liked Grossman even through his great first half in 2006.

[chitownsports4ever]

Unless you are firing Lovie and getting rid of Turner you sign Orton to something cap friendly with plenty of escalators .Unless we come across some stud in the draft we should work Orton at least for another year and see where it goes.

[WEFFPIM]

No

[batman_crip14]

I don't think KO ever looked great. He showed flashes in 1 or 2 drives in a game maybe, but nothing to be like woe me. He was mostly average/sub par. He only great game he had was @DET. He isn't really a stats guy to be praising about but his stats were meh or an okay game manager. His QBR is what an 80, to me QBR basically means he is an 80% successful thrower from 6 yards n less haha.
His roller coaster ride, so to speak, has been unpleasant and not that exciting in terms of good and bad in comparison to Rex. Bring back Rex and let them compete again HAHAH! (seriously tho)
I'd give him a short term contract, bring in a stud receiver, keep BL/DH/EB and cut RD/MB. See what KO can do with that and keep him on a tight leash next year, give him like 4 games and give it to Hanie or Rookie to takeover.
as of now, KO and the offense get a D+ grade wise because we he has hurt more than help, but the supporting cast around didn't help as much either.

[batman_crip14]

if Turner and buddy Bob get fired... i would sign KO and RG to long term deals along with whoever is on D needing a contract.

[NLK]

I don't think its a good idea to even think about this topic until we know what the outcome is this Sunday. I mean, say the Bears are eliminated, but K.O. goes Montana on the Texans...Do we resign him? IMO, I say no, don't be in a rush. Make him prove it next year. I think Doug or another poster put it best, put a better corp of receivers and lineman around KO, and see how he fares.

I know I'm always clamoring to get Donovan McNabb because a.) I'm a homer, and I want us to get a hometown guy. b.) Philly fans are getting tired of him (they're not too bright, the Eagles will be a bad team fast). and c.) He loves to throw a tight speed spiral right in the chests of TEs, and as we all know, we do have a pretty damn good 1-2 punch of Olsen and Clark. McNabb would easily fit here because we have Forte who has taken our O-Line which was hot garbage and morphed them into moldy tuna salad. With Hester looking more and more comfortable, McNabb is gonna bomb that ball deep into his hands a few times, and make defenses quiver. Thats not to say Kyle Orton can't do that either, he def. can. I guess my point is, the Bears should keep their options open. I mean, there are other needs to solidify like the front 4 of the Defense, and probably looking to move Nathan Vasher (can we swap Nate for Lito Sheppard?).

[SportsWorld]

As of right now Orton does not deserve a long term deal. He's proven to be as inconsistent as Rex he just isn't getting the flack Rex got because Rex was another one of Angelo's 1st round busts.

[chitownsports4ever]

the fact that people even mention putting a receiving corps and improved line around him says it all. If you evaluate him on the entire season he certainly does deserve a longterm contract . The question then becomes years ,escalators and other things . Hes something like 21-11 as a starter and regardless of whether or not you think he won the game singlehandedly we win with him behind the center.

This doesnt mean I think he should be dubbed franchise QB and paid accordingly but weve had soo much turnover at this position that I wouldnt mind committing good money not star money to stabilize the position for the next couple of years . I wouldnt stop looking for a stud but at 26 years old we have time to start loading up on the weapons to put around a QB.

I dont know it seems people are really jumping the gun when I look at the numbers and take into account personnel .Ortons middle of the pack right now and with 275 yards passing on Sunday he will pass 3000 . Now no one wouldve even thought he couldve gotten close to that mark in September and now here he is with a chance to eclipse it with everyone knowing the state of our receiving corps and hes still not worth extending even at reasonable price?

[The Sheik]

I wouldnt mind keeping Orton long term, but the team needs to commit to winning. If we are gonna continue with the bullsh^+ we've been doing then I dont see the point of committing to Orton. He is an average (sometimes above when he is on) QB and with average to below average surroundings doesn't equal long term success.

1. Get a line. 1st round pick should be a OT again.
2. Get a WR core. Keep Hester and Davis and drop Booker and Llyod. Hell I will settle for one legit WR.
3. Upgrade either the Secondary or DL.
4. Draft a QB project sometime during day 1, I dont think much of Hanie.
5. A legit #2 option to take the ease of Forte. I would like to see a speedster...and please nobody say Wolfe.

If we don't give Orton the tools to succeed neither he or any other QB (that isnt a star) is gonna get it done.

[emperorjones]

Pro side:
Cheaper than waiting a year if he's solid next year. He's really working with a crap set of WRs, and if we upgrade at that position he should be improved

Yes. Over the last 30 years (give or take a decade) Bears fans have grown used to changing the QB. While I don't think Orton is the next HOF QB, I do think continuity and an upgrade of talent at WR (as well as less predictable play calling) will put him in the top 10-12 QBs in the league. That is worth signing him to a 5 year deal that's cap friendly.

[NoSkyy]

I would sign him for a reasonable deal. Keep it cheap and draft a project QB just in case(Tebow anyone?) He's proven enough me that we can upgrade everything around him(for example, upgrade the line to run the offense through Forte, get a better number 2 back, WRs, Defense) that he's GOOD enough to WIN even though he might not be a game changer. And just in case you realize, in two/three years we need a game changer, we have a good project QB in the wings that worked out. Look at Aaron Rodgers. He sat for the longest and he turned out alright.

[NoSkyy]

2. Get a WR core. Keep Hester and Davis and drop Booker and Llyod. Hell I will settle for one legit WR.

Davis?!? Not after that **** he pulled. He got benched for EARL BENNET this week. Come on.

[batman_crip14]

I've read that this study as worked in the past... that we should throw KO in the river, and if he floats hes a witch and must be short termed... if he drowns, give him the long term deal.

also, Davis should be gone as well

[Howling Mad]

Orton's play this year is not enough for a hefty contract.

I think what we realized this year is the importance of fitting your personal with the identity of your team. Orton, the smart decision maker, is a far better ooption than the gun slinging cannon arm of Rex, especially when your trying to sell a 3/4 WR as your numero uno. tisk, tisk. Yes, Devin Hester is a 3/4 WR

Someone said, cheap contract with loaded incentives, I'd be down for that.

[chitownsports4ever]

Orton completed 272 of 465 passes for 2,972 yards—the sixth most in Bears history—with 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 79.6 passer rating in 2008.

I dont think this means lock him for franchise money but I would tell him flat out that we need to see more and that we would be willing to do something with tons of incentives if he wants to get something done before next season.

[The Sheik]

You have to surround him around a real receiving core and Im not even talking about signing 2-3 big time people. Orton doesnt have a great arm, but he is a fairly decent decision maker (most of the time). He has no sure handed possession receivers...why else are our 3 best receivers our RB and TEs.

Hester can be the "deep threat" or whatever.
Booker is a washed up 1 yr wonder
Llyod is a mystery. You would think he has the talent to be a solid #2 or 3, but he never pans out.
Davis is just a reminder of all the blown picks.

I would much rather add a couple of solid #2s than one #1 and retaining the WR core as is.

In closing you need to improve the line as well if you want Forte and Orton to be successful.

[DanTown8587]

I don't agree "give him great WR and then you can see how good he is..." the whole point of giving Orton the long term commitment in money and years is that he can raise the level of the guys he plays with. That is clearly false. Yeah the line was bad and so were the receivers for most of the year, but that doesn't help the fact he only had a few good games (against bad teams to boot) and continued to make "easy" throws and not have a big play. I think a 3-15 with incentives is perfectly acceptable and it doesn't cripple us if he is bad and if he is good, he earns three years of money. But no, he isn't a franchise quarterback so don't commit the franchise to him. You wouldn't overpay to keep a decent but not great LB here, don't do it to keep a decent but not great QB here.