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• Rankings: How do the greatest Bears of all time stack up against each other?

Chris Mortensen's bus tour of NFL training camps landed him at Bears camp this week, which led to a conversation with Brian Urlacher about living up to expectations as part of a lineage of linebacks that includes Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary. And, of course, the conversation also touched on what Urlacher did or didn't say about Jay Cutler.

Between all the great linebackers in team history and the scarcity of franchise quarterbacks over nearly a century of football, we started wondering about the greatest Bears of all time. Do any of the linebackers top Walter Payton? Where do any of the team's quarterbacks fit in the mix? Is there any way for us to work in a Matt Suhey reference?

We now know Jay Cutler thinks Bears fans are better than Broncos fans (while not reported, we also suspect he thinks lakes are better than mountains and wind is better than altitude), but who are the best Bears of all time?

• SN's take: Bears are SportsNation's pick to win the NFC North.
• Vote: Is Cutler under more pressure this season than Josh McDaniels?
• Beyond the Nation: More on the Bears from ESPN Chicago's Jeff Dickerson.
• Groups: Chicago Bears FanGroup | Monsters of the Midway | Talk Chicago

“

As a Bears fan I have embraced Cutler. He is the type of QB we needed here for many years. Sort of reminds me of Jim McMahon. Both had some cockiness in them but as long as they will win for your club thats all that counts. Hopefully if Cutler can get us into the playoffs the haters will go away.

” -- bullsfan2223

“

The sad thing is Jay Cutler actually believes kissing the backside of Bears fans will actually make a difference when he forces three picks in one half of a home game this year. It will not. The kid has an arm, too bad he has the same mental capacity as Jeff George.

” -- Lundonj2