6:33pm: Besides the Eagles, the Bears are the team pushing hardest for the No. 2 pick, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Kuharsky passes along word from ESPN’s Bob Holtzman (Twitter link) that the Bears have tried to stir up interest in Cutler, but the Titans have no interest.
2:51pm: A handful of teams, including the Eagles, Browns, Jets, and Rams, continue to be cited as potential Marcus Mariota suitors, linked to the second overall pick in the draft. Now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has added another club to that list. According to Rapoport (Twitter links via Shayne L. Marsaw), the Bears have touched base with the Titans about the possibility of moving up to No. 2.
The Bears, who currently hold the No. 7 overall pick, would certainly have an easier time moving up from their spot than a team like the Eagles (No. 20) would, but there are several notable roadblocks impeding a potential deal. For one, the team has Jay Cutler under contract, and while the new regime hasn’t exactly been overflowing with praise for the incumbent quarterback, the guaranteed money still left on his contract would make it difficult to simply move on from him.
Additionally, the Bears have a number of other holes on their roster, and will likely be in the market for players who will fit their new defensive scheme — surrendering multiple picks to move up for Mariota would significantly hinder the club’s ability to add talent at several different positions.
Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) suggests that the Bears’ primary needs are at wide receiver, tight end, cornerback, and safety, and landing a pass rusher wouldn’t hurt either. Giving up another premium pick to move up from No. 7 to draft a quarterback would leave Chicago with plenty of question marks, putting pressure on the club to nail its mid-round picks.