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Over the weekend, the Bears took the first step in fixing the most important position of all by re-signing Connor Shaw.

Not the big splash Bears fans might have had in mind, but Shaw is a younger, oft-injured quarterback who can compete well for a backup job, if not act as a stopgap while Chicago grooms a rookie or waits to draft one in 2018.

Of course, rookie, trade or stopgap is the question for the Bears.

If the price is right and the New England Patriots actually offer him in a trade, the Bears could make a move for Jimmy Garoppolo and be done with it, later inking him to a long-term extension and hoping he's the answer.

But the Bears could also look to grab a potential franchise quarterback in the draft. At No. 3, Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson could all be in play. A guy like Patrick Mahomes II could have the Bears trading back up into the late first round. None of them need to start as a rookie, nor do developmental options taken in the later rounds.

Who acts as the stopgap starter or high-profile backup remains to be seen. It could be Shaw, or the Bears could also bring back one of Matt Barkley or Brian Hoyer. The team has also been linked to free agent Mike Glennon, according to Rapoport.

Like many of the issues the Bears must resolve this offseason while jobs possibly swing in the balance, various options exist here. If they choose a stopgap quarterback and put the position in a holding pattern, how the front office builds the rest of the roster will come under an intense microscope.

If they choose to draft a high-profile rookie or land Garoppolo, those in charge of the decision tie their ropes to the new quarterback of the future no matter what happens with the rest of the roster.

It's not a fun position to be in for anyone involved, but in a way, it is. Nothing is more important and will have a bigger impact on the franchise for years to come than what course of action Pace and the Bears take with the item topping their to-do list.

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.