John DeFilippo was hired with one primary job for the Chicago Bears. Do everything in his power to make the quarterbacks on this roster be the best they can be. A job he’s proven quite good at in recent years. However, there is another aspect of his position that can sometimes get overlooked. People never really think about it much.
The quarterbacks coach likely has a voice in the scouting process for acquiring new QBs.
Novel concept right? Truth be told if one tracks DeFilippo’s NFL run since return from college in 2012? They’ll see he’s had a hand in helping teams secure some really good QBs. In 2014, he was the QBs coach when the Oakland Raiders drafted Derek Carr in the 2nd round. Two years later he helped the Philadelphia Eagles draft Carson Wentz. Then in 2018, he signed off on the Minnesota Vikings grabbing Kirk Cousins in free agency.
Last but certainly not least, he was the primary voice in the room when the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Gardner Minshew last year. That is quite a few notable moves the man was part of. People may call it just a coincidence, but there’s already a bit of evidence that his strong eye for QB talent is rubbing off on the Bears.
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John DeFilippo influence is already being felt
In the past week, it was reported that the Bears were planning to try out two quarterbacks on Monday, August 17th. One is rookie Mason Fine out of North Texas and the other veteran backup Kyle Sloter. Why does this matter? Probably because those two names were two of the best remaining on the open market.
Fine threw for 12,000 yards in his college career, displaying a solid arm with good accuracy and mobility. For the Bears to bring him in signals they can look past his well-documented size issues. As for Sloter? He’s arguably the best preseason QB in NFL history. The guy has size, arm strength, and accuracy. Yet for whatever reason, he hasn’t found his way on the field. Both of these guys have ability that stands out.
Traditionally the Bears have settled for career backup types like Chase Daniel, Brian Hoyer, or Matt Barkley. These two represent considerably more upside than any of those names. One has to imagine the arrival of DeFilippo is playing a big part in these moves.