After studying Jerry Angelo's comments on Kyle Orton and the Bears' quarterback situation, I really have no idea how the Bears plan to address the position in the off-season.

But I do know how I think they should go about it. First off, I think Orton has a chance to be the guy the Bears are looking for, but Angelo is correct in wanting to see him prove it for a full season.

Angelo said: "It starts with the quarterback. It's all about the quarterback. You don't win because of wide receivers. You don't win because of running backs. You win because of the quarterback. We've got to get the quarterback position stabilized. We're fixated on that."

They should be. But, if the Bears truly believe that, then bringing in a quarterback to compete with Orton is a waste of time.

If the Bears really believe the quarterback position is that important, then they need to bring in someone better than Orton, or, if it's a rookie, someone who they are convinced will be better than Orton very soon.

So please don't give me Chris Simms. Nothing against Phil's baby boy, but he's started three games in the past three years with a passer rating of 46.3. In five years, he's started 15 games. He's played less than Orton and accomplished less.

The Bills' J.P. Losman? Really? He's had more TD passes than interceptions in just one of his five seasons and seems to have regressed since 2006, his only decent season.

Angelo mentioned the success this season of the over-the-hill gang of Gus Frerotte, Kerry Collins, Jeff Garcia and Kurt Warner.

All except Frerotte are scheduled to become free agents in March.

But forget about Warner. He'll cost too much and he'll be 38 before next season starts. He's a cigar store Indian in the pocket, which means he'd last about three games behind the Bears' current offensive line. Warner has put up impressive numbers this season throwing to 1,000-yard receivers Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston, all of whom are better than any wideouts on the Bears' roster.

Same goes for the Patriots' Matt Cassel, another potential free agent. He put up nice numbers throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker in a passing offense. That doesn't make him someone you want to get into a bidding war over.

Collins' passer rating was less than a point better than Orton's, and he's 36. That's not even a lateral move because Collins threw just 12 TD passes this season and, in a 14-year career, has never been more than an average quarterback, and he's usually been closer to mediocre. He's not a guy who makes those around him better.

Garcia actually makes sense, but only if the Bears are also going to start drafting and developing quarterbacks, which they should continue to do until they're convinced Orton or some other veteran is the long-term answer. Garcia will be 39 in February, so he's obviously a quick and short-term fix. But he plays much younger than his age and has excellent mobility. His passer rating has been over 90 in each of the past three seasons, with a TD-interception ratio of 35-12.

Garcia has been a starter and a backup, so even if Orton steps up his game and wins the job, the Bears have greatly improved their depth at a position Angelo says is of utmost importance.

The Eagles' Donovan McNabb has been rumored to be on his way back home to Chicago for years, and he presents another viable option if the Bears don't have to relinquish too much in a trade.

Despise having a history of injuries, McNabb is "only" 32, a mere pup compared to Warner and Garcia, and his résumé is at least as impressive as the other two. In his previous three seasons, McNabb has thrown 60 TD passes and just 23 interceptions, and he's worked with average-at-best wide receivers for most of his career, so he'd be right at home in Chicago, literally and figuratively.

rlegere@dailyherald.com