Chicago Bears Reportedly Interested In Drafting FIU Quarterback James Morgan
While the Chicago Bears acquired Nick Foles in order to back up presumed starter Mitch Trubisky this offseason, there is talk the front office might also be looking at grabbing a prospect in the draft. Rumors have them looking at potentially tapping Florida International University (FIU) quarterback James Morgan to join the team.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the Bears aren’t alone in vetting Morgan, whose draft stock is rising quickly, despite the fact that he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers at FIU. Wilson wrote that so many NFL teams are taking another look at him because he “has one of the three strongest arms in the draft,” according to one area scout.
As Luis Medina of Bleacher Nation reported, the Bears had already talked to Morgan at the East-West Shrine Game. It was at that game where Chicago started to be really impressed with what they saw and heard from the quarterback. Since that time, Morgan’s stock has only continued to rise.
To be clear, as Medina pointed out, he’s still considered a late-round pick who might surprise teams, though he’s also being compared to Kirk Cousins by some scouts. The knowledge that he most likely will go late in the draft could be another reason the Bears are showing interest.
After spending most of the offseason being the subject of quarterback rumors, the Bears are somewhat settled at the position — for the next season at least. Because the quarterback position is fairly set, the team needs to focus on other positions first. Therefore, they most likely want to keep their early round picks for those players that can help them in the coming season. The front office could be focusing on Morgan for the sole reason that he might still be around after the team addresses its more immediate concerns.
In that regard, Morgan’s less than stellar 2019 could aid Chicago in its goals. The quarterback burst onto the scene in 2018, throwing for over 2,700 yards and 26 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Transferring in from Bowling Green, he was named the Conference USA newcomer of the year. He fell back to earth hard in his final year at FIU, however.
Last season, his completion percentage dropped from 65.3 to 58.5 percent. While he threw for nearly the same amount of yards and was still careful with the football — throwing just five interceptions — he only had 14 touchdown passes last year. Despite Morgan’s numbers moving the wrong way, his strong arm and the Chicago Bears’ interest could see him being a dark horse in the upcoming draft.
