Building around Cutler could prove to be tricky

If draft picks indeed are the lifeblood of a team, the Bears will need to be on the lookout for warning signs of anemia.

On the plus side, they finally appear to have a quarterback.

On the minus, they have fewer ways to fortify the team around him.

Certainly, their trade last week for Jay Cutler changes everything for the Bears from a draft perspective. Primarily, it makes the Bears more dependent on alternate forms of player acquisitions.

Hello, Orlando Pace.

The Bears very well could have used the 2009 first-round pick they traded away in the Cutler deal to draft an offensive tackle. Signing Pace filled that need, at least in the short term.

There could be other veteran acquisitions in the offing, as the Bears also gave away a 2009 third-round pick for Cutler. The acquisitions of Cutler and Pace also signal a subtle shift in philosophy for the Bears. They are being built to win now, not two or three years from now.

Pace’s old Rams teammate Torry Holt, subsequently, never has looked more appealing than he does today. Holt might be able to help the Bears more over the next two years than any receiver they could have drafted even if they still had their first-round pick.

Adding a veteran would be ideal, but maximizing the remaining draft picks is essential regardless. With fewer picks, each becomes more important.

The Cutler trade also changes the Bears’ backup quarterback scenario. Oddly, it could mean drafting a quarterback at some point in the later rounds takes on a higher priority.

It was one thing trying to get a veteran quarterback interested in coming to Chicago to back up Kyle Orton. A lot of passers liked the sound of that job. It will be another to try to get a veteran interested in backing up Cutler, a durable, franchise-type quarterback who is expected to start every game between now and the 2016 Olympics.

At that point, Cutler will light the Olympic torch, throw the javelin and win a gold, shine his Super Bowl trophies, get fitted for his hall of fame jacket and be sworn in as Chicago’s new mayor.

Or perhaps king.

Yes, our expectations are a bit inflated. Then again, they were nearly as high for Mike Phipps, Jim McMahon, Jim Harbaugh, Erik Kramer, Rick Mirer, Cade McNown and Rex Grossman, among others.

What everyone should realize is Cutler can’t do it by himself. Sure, the quarterback is the most important player on the field. But for him to be the best he can be, Cutler will need better receiver play than the Bears gave Orton, better pass protection than they gave Orton and even a better running game than they gave Orton.

He had all of the above in Denver. Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall had almost twice as many receiving yards as the Bears’ leading receiver. The Broncos allowed 17 fewer sacks than the Bears did. And the Broncos averaged 4.8 yards per carry compared with 3.9 for the Bears.

Some of these discrepancies should be rectified through Cutler’s play and through an improved offensive line. But the Bears also have to count on improvement through the draft.

And that includes the last draft. They need for two of Cutler’s college teammates at Vanderbilt, wide receiver Earl Bennett and offensive tackle Chris Williams, to develop into the types of players the Bears thought they could be when they chose them.

Their development is more important now than ever because if those players are busts, the Bears have fewer draft picks with which to replace them.

So far, this off-season has been almost all about offense for the Bears. They have added four potential offensive starters in Cutler, Pace, offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer and guard Frank Omiyale. But they can’t stop there.

Cutler’s presence adds even more urgency to the offensive makeover. If Cutler fails, the Bears become the Titanic. They need to do succeed on draft day -- even with fewer picks -- to make sure Cutler succeeds.