Anybody who has followed the Chicago Bears during the Ryan Pace era as GM has learned one thing. When it comes to his interest in quarterbacks, there are few better in the NFL at masking it. His misdirection campaign in 2017 to completely turn everybody away from the idea of Mitch Trubisky was a masterclass. The quarterback even said after being drafted that the Bears intentionally told him not to reveal they had met with him.
Gardner Minshew appeared on the Rich Eisen podcast last month and revealed the Bears had actually had lots of interest in him. Something that never even came out before or during the season. Pace runs a tight ship. That is why when quarterbacks reveal they've met with the Bears, the odds are the team doesn't view that player as their actual target.
That's why it was weird when Washington quarterback Jacob Eason was asked whether the team had met him. He easily could've said no. Nobody would've thought much about it. Instead, he said this.
That sounds like a quarterback who was told to stay quiet. If he hadn't met with the Bears, he easily could've said no. That answer says a lot more, especially in regards to how this regime operates.
Chicago Bears have shown interest in Eason's type before
So who is Eason? He started out at Georgia in 2016 but eventually transferred after Fromm took over the starting job. He finally became a starter in 2019 at Washington and had a solid year with 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He is the son of former Notre Dame wide receiver Tony Eason. So the game runs in his blood.
Most view him as a toolsy prospect. He stands 6'6 and features one of the strongest arms in the 2020 class. There isn't a throw at any level that he can't make. The problem is he's raw in a lot of areas, especially his lower body mechanics and it has affected his accuracy.
Experts are all over the map on him. Some think with a little patience he can be a quality NFL starter. Others think his lack of feel for the game will ultimately stop him from reaching his full potential.
"Eason is fun to watch when he's ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured. He's relatively inexperienced and should continue to develop from the pocket, but poise is hard to fix, and handling exotic blitz packages is not a given."
It's for these reasons some believe he'll take a tumble in the draft.
That might explain why the Bears are interested since they don't pick until the 2nd round. Eason features a skill set that Pace has a history of coveting. He likes taller quarterbacks with strong arms. He liked Marcus Mariota in 2015 and wanted to move up for Carson Wentz in 2016. Remember that Wentz has experienced a lot of success in the type of offense the Chicago Bears run over in Philadelphia. So it might make sense that Matt Nagy would like what he sees in Eason.
Given the amount of quarterback expertise the coaching staff has now, it would also make sense that they feel confident they can correct the issues that have plagued the 22-year old.
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