Anybody with half a brain can see changes are coming for the Chicago Bears offense in 2021. That especially goes for the quarterback position. Mitch Trubisky will be a free agent. Nick Foles looked less than ideal during his run as the starter. This team badly needs some fresh blood in the mix. Can they finally locate that elusive franchise guy after decades of searching?
They certainly seem set on trying. Over the past month, two key things have been reported that are important to this story. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said just over two weeks ago that if Ryan Pace survives as GM going into next year, it’s a virtual certainty he’ll target a quarterback. Just three days later, Bears scouts were spotted at the game between Florida and Arkansas.
A clear indication they were there to watch Kyle Trask.
The Gators quarterback has played outstanding this season. Despite it being his first full year as a starter, he’s thrown for 2,554 yards with 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Just absurd efficiency and productivity. It seems the Bears have liked what they’ve seen. A source told SM that at least one high-ranked team representative was in attendance for Florida’s game against Kentucky.
They watched Trask put together a solid 256 yards with three touchdowns in a 34-10 drubbing. The Gators are red hot and streaking towards their first appearance ever in the College Football Playoffs. Of course, they’ll probably have to get past undefeated Alabama in the SEC championship to do so. That should be must-see TV for teams evaluating the 22-year old quarterback.
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Chicago Bears better fix that O-line if Trask is their guy
The 2021 quarterback class might be one of the deepest in recent memory when it comes to possible 1st rounders. Recent estimates put it at five including Trask with a possibility of six if Mac Jones of Alabama continues to play so well. This can be good news for the Bears since they are currently projected to pick 16th in the draft next year.
Right now Trask is widely viewed as the 4th-best quarterback in the class behind Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Justin Fields (Ohio State), and Zach Wilson (BYU). He certainly has the size for the NFL at 6’5. He operates well from the pocket, surveys the field quickly, and demonstrates the vision to find the open man. His accuracy at all levels is also high quality.
The concerns with him stem from two areas.
His relatively okay-not-great arm and average mobility. This isn’t a guy that is going to pick up a ton of chunk yardage on the ground. He’s also not going to be the poster boy of a vertical offense. His strengths lay in timing and rhythm. When he feels the mojo going, he can pick defenses apart almost at will. The big key is protection. His lack of scrambling prowess means the offensive line has to keep that pocket clean.
Given the state of the Chicago Bears offensive line right now? They’d be chucking that poor kid to the wolves. So if the team does have designs on drafting him, they might be wise to keep him bubble wrapped until the line is improved.