A glance at the Bears QB depth chart

Jay Cutler's $15.5 million base salary for the 2015 season is already guaranteed, along with $10 million toward next year's $16 million base - so he's the Bears' quarterback at least for this year, as long as he's healthy.

The remaining $6 million of Cutler's 2016 salary isn't guaranteed until the third day of that year's league calendar, by which time the Bears will have made their decision on whether to go in a different direction. There is no more guaranteed money for Cutler after that, although he can earn an additional $156,250 per game from 2017-2020 in roster bonuses, on top of his base salaries of $12.5 million, $13,5 million, $17.5 million and $19.2 million.

Backup Jimmy Clausen was re-signed for one year at $1.125 million. In his one start last season he performed capably despite a three-year gap of inactivity after starting 10 games as a rookie in 2010. Clausen is not the guy that a team wants as a long-term starter. But he can be a reliable backup because he has a good enough arm to make almost every throw and possesses the ability to quickly comprehend and execute an offense.

Last year's sixth-round pick, David Fales, remains an unknown commodity, though his marginal size and arm strength probably will limit his NFL success. He had a mediocre preseason but did not play in the regular season, when he spent most of his time on the practice squad in what was essentially a red-shirt season.