Griese's gone, but Bears' woes remain

Brian Griese just became the NFL's definition of backup quarterback.

If you come to the Bears and can't become the starter, you're a No. 2 at best and maybe even a career No. 3.

Remember, we're talking about a franchise that rarely has had a starting quarterback, much less adequate depth at the position.

Yes, folks, I'm suffering from an acute case of quarterback envy.

On a day the Bears traded Griese for an inconsequential draft choice -- perhaps a millionth-rounder a trillion years from now -- the Steelers secured Ben Roethlisberger with a long-term contract.

Later in the day, wide receiver Randy Moss re-upped with the Patriots for a lot of money and just as importantly the chance to keep catching passes from Gisele Bundchen's boy toy.

Even in the off-season, quarterbacks around the league are making differences for their teams in myriad ways.

Meanwhile, the Bears have Rex Grossman competing with Kyle Orton for the job and are looking for fodder to fill out the roster.

The Bears will have a starter at the position on opening day in September, but that's a lot different than having a real NFL starting quarterback.

Grossman hasn't become that player. Orton hasn't had much of an opportunity to. And Griese couldn't dismiss them from the equation, though he didn't have much of an opportunity either.

Anyway, the best thing an observer can do is laugh about the Bears' quarterback tradition to keep from crying.

But the predicament is no joke. It influences every aspect of a football franchise. It makes everything more difficult -- from building to sustaining to rebuilding to whatever phase it is going through.

To understand look at, say, the Packers and how well they have done for so many years just because they have Brett Favre.

You think it was coincidence that Green Bay was back in Super Bowl contention last season after a brief absence?

No, the Packers became winners again because Favre didn't retire. They have a chance to remain winners as long as he plays.

Rebuilding was easier because the quarterback made a young offensive line better, and the running game better, and the wide receivers better.

Do you think an untested, anonymous running back like Ryan Grant could have come to the Bears and been as effective playing with their quarterbacks?

My goodness, a fourth-overall draft pick, Cedric Benson, has found it difficult to look even adequate without a passing game to complement whatever he has to offer as a running back.

The Bears' quarterback doesn't make the offensive line better. The offensive line doesn't make the running back better. The running back doesn't make the passing game better.

But just as in that paragraph, it all starts with the quarterback.

Maybe it's appropriate to play Vince Lombardi's words here. Take "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" and twist it into "the quarterback isn't something, he's everything."

Or go back to what Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said Super Bowl week last year -- a team needs a Hall of Fame quarterback to maintain excellence.

Angelo understands he has made his job so much harder by failing to acquire even a real starting QB, much less one bound for Canton.

So, as the latest mediocre Bears' quarterback departs, their same old daunting problem remains.