LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A veteran contingency plan at quarterback isn't currently in place for the Chicago Bears, should Jay Cutler go down with an injury.
In the aftermath of the draft, a definitive timeline for alleviating that concern isn't known. But general manager Jerry Angelo wouldn't rule out the club making a move.
"I can't say we will [rule out adding a veteran]," Angelo said. "That could happen."
The Bears spent a sixth-round pick in the draft Saturday to take Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour, who will compete with second-year players Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez for backup roles behind Cutler. Angelo said the club in the past has taken four quarterbacks to training camp, which could very well be the case again for 2010.
Angelo said the club didn't specifically target LeFevour in the draft, but when the quarterback was still available in the sixth round, the Bears couldn't resist taking him.
"We really didn't have a lot of discussions about him," Angelo said. "The quarterback position obviously has value any year, regardless of what your situation is. We've got Caleb Hanie; [he's] been with us a couple of years."
What the club doesn't have is a backup quarterback it would feel comfortable about handing the reins if Cutler suffered an injury requiring him to miss time. Hanie and Basanez have a combined nine NFL completions.
So more than likely, there's uneasiness within the organization about the inexperience behind Cutler, who has developed a reputation for rarely missing time due to injury.
The most logical options for veteran additions include Patrick Ramsey, Josh McCown, and Daunte Culpepper. Back in 2002 when Ramsey played for the Redskins, Angelo reportedly came close to consummating a trade for him for a high-round draft selection and former Bears guard Mike Gandy.
The asking price for Ramsey wouldn't be so steep this time around, since he's an unrestricted free agent. McCown, at 30, is the youngest of the most logical veteran quarterback options. Ramsey is 31 and Culpepper is 33.
Marc Bulger, who worked with Chicago offensive coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis, would seem to be an ideal fit for the Bears offense. But Bulger, 33, is believed to be seeking a job as a starter.
Michael C. Wright covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com.