Thus far the Chicago Bears have met with only one quarterback this offseason with the NFL draft in mind. Obviously it's early and that is certain to change. However, it appears they've gotten off on the right foot with who they chose. It was reported the team had met with Florida International senior James Morgan down in St. Petersburg, Florida during the practices for the East-West Shrine game.
Morgane was a bit of an under-the-radar talent. He transferred from Bowling Green State to FIU in 2018 and proceeded to thrive under longtime head coach Butch Davis. A man with two Super Bowl rings and the architect of the 2001 Miami Hurricanes national champion. Morgan has gotten himself a strong education in playing football. Nevermind the fact that both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers are his idols as a Green Bay native.
Morgan reportedly showed out well during the week of practices and it would seem this translated to the game itself. Setting the stage for a 31-27 victory for the Eastern team, the quarterback took home offensive MVP honors finishing 9-of-14 for 116 yards and a touchdown. He had a couple of off throws but for the most part delivered the ball on target.
Chicago Bears are wise to keep an eye on Morgan
It would seem the Bears might be onto something with Morgan. While nobody expects him to jump up draft boards like Jimmy Garoppolo did back in 2014, he's done himself plenty of favors. Odds are he'll go somewhere on Day 3 between the 4th and 6th rounds. A talented quarterback with upside but one who needs a lot of work on his fundamentals. Morgan has sloppy footwork that affects his accuracy and ball placement more than it should.
He's a project. There is no doubt about that. Still, he has enough traits combined with a strong background to make one think he's capable of taking that next step if he lands on a team willing to give him an opportunity. Chicago is at a crossroads with Mitch Trubisky. His future beyond 2020 is completely unknown. The Bears have restructured their coaching staff to one loaded with QB-heavy experts.
It's an ideal environment for someone like Morgan.
