CHICAGO A top young quarterback. An elite offensive lineman. And, maybe, one big playoff push.

The Chicago Bears showed they're serious about contending in the NFC, trading for quarterback Jay Cutler and signing free agent tackle Orlando Pace Thursday after missing the postseason for the second straight year.

"I can't sit here and tell you we're pristine," general manager Jerry Angelo said.

They are more polished, though.

The Bears acquired the top passer they've lacked for decades by landing Cutler and a fifth-round draft pick from Denver in exchange for quarterback Kyle Orton, along with two first-rounders and a third-rounder. They also filled a hole on the offensive line by agreeing to a three-year deal with Pace, a seven-time Pro Bowl pick with St. Louis.

Just like that, the offense got a different look. How different?

That remains to be seen, but change certainly was in order after the Bears went 9-7 last season and missed the playoffs again.

Now, they have a Pro Bowl quarterback who threw for a Broncos-record 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns with 18 interceptions and figures to give them the stability they've lacked since Sid Luckman was calling signals in the 1940s all because Cutler's relationship with the Broncos crumbled.

Angelo said he has no concerns about his new quarterback and added: "We felt that (Cutler) is a very good person, a good leader," Angelo said. "He had some things that happened in Denver. We recognized those, but we treated them as just speed bumps, part of the growing process. He's highly competitive, he's highly emotional."