Bear Digest

Potential Issues with QB Alternatives

Analysis: Is there a possible lack of interest by the Bears in QBs 2 and 3 this draft, and if so, what does it mean?
Gene Chamberlain|
Potential Issues with QB Alternatives
Potential Issues with QB Alternatives

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Chicago Bears

If the decision of the Bears is to trade away the first pick but then draft a quarterback anyway, they already know the two most viable options are tuned into some of their great fears.

Or, at least it's the fears of many Bears fans.

It seems unlikely they would deal away the chance to draft confident Caleb Williams and select either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels because they would still have Justin Fields—unless they would then also deal away him.

But both Daniels and Maye seemed to have an inkling about what scares Bears fans and sought to calm the fears Friday while doing their combine media interviews.

For Maye, that great fear is as obvious as the Tar Heel blue in his background. That's where Mitchell Trubisky came from, so it means Maye must be overrated, right?

Maye treated this silly notion far more diplomatically than something this stupid requires. 

After all, there have been five drafts since the one when Trubisky came out of North Carolina as the pick of former GM Ryan Pace and this will be the sixth. It's Mack Brown heading up the football program now and not Larry Fedora, and these are two different people. 

The uniform colors don't make for overrated QBs.

"Mitch has been around," Maye told reporters at the combine. "He came back to North Carolina a few times and he's been great. He hit me up before the season and just said, 'best of luck.'

"He's a great mentor any time. You know, Carolina blue, quarterback fraternity, we just try to sit together."

Sensing he was being targeted by the anti-Trubisky Chicago group, or at least those who fear a repetition of a past mistake, Maye settled everyone down. He pointed out he's someone different.

"Yeah, Mitch, shoot, he had some great years with Chicago," Maye said. "Especially had that one year (2018), I remember him making the playoffs (2020 also) and playing well.

"You know, I think a lot of people, they analyze based off the helmet. I think we're different players and different people. But at the same time, a big fan of Mitch."

Bears fans shouldn't worry about this anyway, it seems. 

They didn't exactly impress Maye as a team overly concerned about him when they had him in their room for a visit at the combine.

"Yeah, the Bears, shoot, great sports town," Maye said. "Chicago's about as good as it gets, so, just got in there, let 'em know who I am.

"I don't think they knew much about me. Just show them what I've got and who I am and kind of speak on some of the plays and some of the tape."

The Bears didn't seem to know much about him? At this point? 

This would make sense if they've already decided long ago they were going to take Williams or  they would trade down and simply keep Fields while drafting a wide receiver—namely combine no-talker Marvin Harrison Jr.

They might have just as little interest in Daniels, the LSU QB who can move out of the pocket with great speed, has a strong arm and the build of a broom handle.

The Bears are doing the now-overblown putt-putt and dart-throwing competitions in GM Ryan Poles' interview room at their combine hotel to get players at ease, and test competitiveness.

"I didn't get put through that," Daniels said.

Is that good or bad? It seems to show less interest in someone, but who knows? Maybe it means they're more interested.

Daniels' ability to move and throw are nice assets but the Bears have had Fields for three years and one of the big criticisms of him is how he gets sacked too much holding the ball too long. Also, he needs to be better as a pocket passer by checking down. In fact, this was something he admitted he needed to do better in the past.

Daniels thinks he can do both well already.

"If there's something, I can do at all," Daniels said. "It's play inside the pocket. I can play outside the pocket. I can make plays with my feet, pick up first downs on the run, win intelligently. 

"I'm a smart kid. It's one of those things where I kind of try to do it all."

Some of the video of Daniels' play suggests he might play smart but other times he gets up saying "that smarts." He takes too many risks with scrambles, and pays for it by getting hit extremely hard. This puts the ball at risk.

"Going forward, I am going to take fewer hits," he said. "But that's just the competitive person in me, always want to fight for the extra yards.

"I have been a little too greedy sometimes but God blessed me with the ability to bounce back up."

The Bears have seen this for three years from their own quarterback now, and while it's admirable it is not really wise in an NFL where risk produces low winning percentages and stints on the injury report.

Fields, himself, is evidence the officials are not going to help a QB who gets hit hard.

The best course in this draft is probably someone who can move and will get rid of the ball while in motion, inside or outside the pocket.

It seems they're well positioned to take exactly that player with the first pick.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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