Bears fans already looking forward to 2017 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears had little margin for error before the season. It didn’t take long for things to fall apart.
The Bears lost six players during Monday’s 29-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Quarterback Jay Cutler has a sprained right thumb, and though the Bears list him as day-to-day, he could miss Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Linebacker Lamarr Houston, a former Texas Longhorns standout, has a torn ACL in his left knee, according to NFL.com. He tore his right ACL a year ago. Linebacker Danny Trevathan is scheduled for thumb surgery Wednesday. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman was carted off with an ankle injury, and safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Bryce Callahan left with concussions.
The Bears will probably play short-handed Sunday.
Only two games into the 2016 season, Bears fans already are looking forward to the 2017 draft.
Here are three things to know about the Bears:
Cutler’s status
Jay Cutler completed 12 of 17 passes for 157 yards, no touchdowns and an interception before exiting Monday. He was replaced by Brian Hoyer, who completed 9 of 12 passes for 78 yards.
Hoyer, 30, is only 15-11 in his career as a starter and does not appear to be a long-term option. However, he likely plays in the short term depending on the severity of Cutler’s thumb injury.
The Bears promoted Matt Barkley from the practice squad this week.
Kicking it
The Bears saved money by cutting kicker Robbie Gould a few days before the season opener. The franchise leader for points scored became a popular player in his 11 seasons in Chicago, but was due a $3 million base salary that became guaranteed if he was on the roster in Week 1.
The Bears signed Connor Barth, citing his 95.2 percent career accuracy. But his first field goal attempt for Chicago didn’t endear him to Bears fans. He hit the left upright from 31 yards against the Eagles, drawing chants of “Rob-bie!”
Who are these guys?
General manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have made some curious personnel decisions. The Bears used to be loaded with name players — Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett, Brandon Marshall, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman. …
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, Chicago’s defensive coordinator until leaving for Dallas before the 2013 season, likely won’t recognize many players on the Bears’ roster.
The Bears added nine free agents in the off-season, but names like Akiem Hicks, Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan likely don’t move the meter … or win games.
Charean Williams: 817-390-7760, @NFLCharean
This story was originally published September 20, 2016 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Bears fans already looking forward to 2017 NFL Draft."