The
Chicago Bears Mitch Trubisky talk is going to get louder and more frequent as the NFL draft approaches in April. That's just the reality of the situation. Chicago is looking hard at the 2017 class after watching injuries and inconsistent play dominate the position in 2016.
Jay Cutler is aging and hasn't played a full season since 2009.
Brian Hoyer and
Matt Barkley flashed but are clearly backups.
Trubisky is one of the top prospects expected to be available. Chicago holds the #3 pick in the first round. It's fair to say they must know anything and everything possible about the Ohio native who enjoyed his first and only year starting at North Carolina. A good way to help that endeavor is by comparing him to current pros.
Several have been thrown around already. Some see Blaine Gabbert. Others Blake Bortles. A few even think he is rather similar to standout Eagles rookie Carson Wentz. However, upon examining the tape the Bears brass are going to have flashbacks (nightmares) of another familiar face they know too well. One who has broken their hearts far too often.
His name is Aaron Rodgers.
Now before people lose their minds, let's make this clear. This article is not a declaration that Mitch Trubisky is the next Aaron Rodgers. It's an examination of how the two share many similar traits. Certain things that could make the young quarterback the best in this class and the best the Bears could potentially have a shot at drafting in a long time.
Follow along and see if you notice the same.
Mobility
There are a lot of mobile quarterbacks, so how could this be used as a comparison between Trubisky and Rodgers? In the context that neither is remembered most for the trait. Rodgers is known for his arm, first and foremost. He can often lull defenses to sleep, making them forget that he can take off and run whenever he wants. He's an athlete in every sense of the word as this 25-yard scramble against Arizona proves.
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Green-Bay-Packers-quarterback-Aaron-Rodgers-25-yard-run-NFL-Videos.mp4"][/video]
Trubisky too is the same way. He's not a "running quarterback" like many college offenses employ. He's always looking to pass first, but UNC doesn't forget the fact that he can move. Defenses can forget from time to time though. This run against Miami is a perfect example. He senses the pocket collapsing, tucks the ball and takes off. His speed and agility are both showcased here. Pretty impressive for a guy who is 6'3", 210 lbs.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Mitch-Trubisky-vs-Miami-2016000310.000-000320.001.mp4"][/video]
Running quarterbacks don't tend to win in the NFL, but quarterbacks
who can run have a much easier time making big plays happen. Trubisky, like Rodgers, knows he has the option of taking off when the situation presents itself.
Escapability
Mobility is nice but often one of the most underrated attributes of a great quarterback is "escapability." One doesn't necessarily have to be mobile in such situations, but it certainly doesn't hurt. There may be none better in the NFL at this particular trait than Rodgers. In essence escapability centers around being able to elude pressure from inside the pocket, sensing where the open lane is and slipping through it to keep the play alive.
Rodgers showcased that ability once again versus the Giants in the wild card round. Twice it appeared New York had him dead to rights. Instead Rodgers dances around, slips off to the left and strikes for the go-ahead touchdown.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/AROD-Escapability.mp4"][/video]
Trubisky doesn't quite have the same polish as Rodgers, but the instincts and elusiveness are definitely there. In this clip he's under duress almost immediately from the Stanford defense. He moves around, still managing to take glances down the field. A rusher then has him cornered but Trubisky gives him the slip, sees the open lane and takes off for eight yards on a scramble. Turning sacks into big positive plays is what escapability is all about.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TRUB-Escapability.mp4"][/video]
Nothing frustrates a defense more than a quarterback who looks like he's sacked, only to wriggle free. Rodgers is great at it. Trubisky is good and getting better.
Deep accuracy
The first question that almost every draft expert asks about a quarterback is can he throw deep? In other words does he have enough arm strength to push it down the field through the air for 60+ yards. The next question is can he do it with any degree of accuracy? The reason this question is so important is because teams know there is nothing more demoralizing to an opponent than being hit for a long bomb through the air.
It instantly puts a defense on its heels and can sometimes even break their spirit. Rodgers is a maestro at throwing down the field with pinpoint precision. If he's allowed to step into it and deliver, he's hit men in stride 60-70 yards down the field with ease.
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Green-Bay-Packers-quarterback-Aaron-Rodgers-to-wide-receiver-Jordy-Nelson-for-a-64-yard-TD-pass-and-catch-NFL-Videos.mp4"][/video]
Given the offense he plays in, Trubisky isn't called on to take deep shots too often. He's tasked with playing more of a horizontal games with high-percentage passes. However, when the situation has called for it he has caught defenses off guard with how well he can throw it deep.
This dime against N.C. State is a great example. Eluding pressure, he steps up in the pocket and lofts it deep. It has enough distance and accuracy to get just over the outstretched fingertips of the defensive back and into the waiting hands of his receiver for a touchdowns. It doesn't get much prettier.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TRUB-Deep-accuracy.mp4"][/video]
The deep strike alone isn't going to win football games, but to borrow a saying from golfers, "It's always nice to have that club in your bag."
Accuracy on the run
Pretty much any quarterback with mild talent can throw accurate passes when they're standing still and aren't getting pressured. It's what happens when the play and the mechanics break down. Can they still put the ball on the numbers even when their feet aren't set? A great way to determine that is how they throw when on the run. Is their ball placement impacted too much by having to contort their body and arm to different positions?
Rodgers is the best in the NFL when throwing on the move and it's not even close. This throw is one of many example. Bad weather. Difficult footing. It doesn't matter. Rodgers buys time moving to his right, searching for anybody open. He then fires a pass across his body in a tight window right on the button to Randall Cobb for the TD.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Aaron-Rodgers-Scrambles-in-the-Snow-Hits-Randall-Cobb-for-a-TD-Texans-vs.-Packers-NFL.mp4"][/video]
On this play Trubisky shows another aspect of throwing on the run. Going across the body is one thing, but being able to throw towards the sideline over a defender without it going too far out of bounds is just as difficult.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Mitch-Trubisky-2016-Highlights-North-Carolina000108.000-000123.001.mp4"][/video]
It's the kind of improvisational ability that NFL teams are inevitably going to need at some point every year if they want to win tight football games. Trubisky has shown on multiple occasions he can do it.
Accuracy under pressure
There may be no more telltale sign of a franchise quarterback that how he throws when under pressure. Most see a considerable dip in their ability to place the ball properly. Many tend to turn it over with interception. Very few are able to maintain a degree of accuracy when defenders are in their face or actually hitting them. Rodgers offered a prime example in this game against Jacksonville.
He tries to escape the pressure but the Jaguars seem to have him in their grasp. At the last second Rodgers gets the pass off. Not only does he manage to put velocity on it without stepping up, but he actually places the ball only where his receiver could get it.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Aaron-Rodgers-Highlights-Packers-vs.-Jaguars-NFL-Week-1-Player-Highlights000034.000-000059.001.mp4"][/video]
On this play Trubisky shows the patience to wait for an open man. He scrambles to his right, keeping the play alive. Soon though the Stanford defensive end, Solomon Thomas, forces him to stop. Sensing the pressure from the back, he has to make a decision. Take the sack or risk a pass into tight coverage. He goes for the latter, firing a flat-footed 40-yard pass in between three defensive backs to his receiver for a huge conversion.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TRUB-Accuracy-Under-Pressure.mp4"][/video]
There are certain traits in a quarterback that are unteachable. Being able to throw bulls eyes like that while getting hit by bigger, heavier men is one of them.
Fourth down mastery
Clutch factor is always something teams discuss about a quarterback. Often the biggest measuring stick is how that man performs in the fourth quarter. Does he begin to wilt under the pressure or does his game step up a notch? Often an even better way to measure that is how the man performs on fourth
down in the fourth quarter. It doesn't get much higher stakes than that.
Aaron Rodgers may be one of the most unkillable quarterbacks when it comes to fourth down. Here the Cardinals have the Packers in 4th & 20. There is 55 seconds left. The game is over. Not for Rodgers though. He moves out to his left, sets his feet and fires a dead on 60-yard pass to a backup receiver to keep the game alive. Green Bay ended up scoring a touchdown to force overtime.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/AROD-4th-Down.mp4"][/video]
Is Mitch Trubisky the same way? Turns out he is. The perfect example was his final drive against Pittsburgh where he converted not one, not two but three fourth downs. None was more impressive than the first. Still in their own territory and needing a touchdown to win, North Carolina faced 4th & 7. Trubisky gets the snap and sees pressure come up the middle right in his face. Unable to step up, he fires the pass between two defenders to a falling down receiver for the first down.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TRUB-4th-Down.mp4"][/video]
The Tar Heels wound up scoring the winning touchdown on that drive. It was the first legitimate sign that Trubisky was more than a system quarterback. He had poise. He had moxie. The moment wasn't too big for him.
Isn't this what the Bears have been looking for going on four decades?
