As I watched DeShaun Watson lead Clemson to not one, but two go-ahead scores late in the fourth quarter of Monday's National Championship game, I couldn't help but dream of a brighter day in the city of Chicago.
Watson was put to the greatest test that any prospective NFL quarterback can ever try: put together a two-minute drill resulting in a touchdown (against Alabama's defense) to win a championship! He succeeded. He also led his team to a go-ahead score earlier in the fourth.
I know a lot of Bears fans that were watching Monday and thinking, could this be our future? Should the Bears pick DeShaun at pick no. 3 overall?
After all these years, the science of selecting a successful franchise quarterback is still a work in progress. For whatever reason, we still haven't been able to figure out what the correct makeup of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback is.
Here's a little update on SOME of the quarterbacks that were selected in the first round, as recently as 2011-2014:
Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, RGIII, Brandon Weeden and EJ Manuel have all struggled to secure starting jobs; all save for Manuel are on different teams than the one that drafted them, and almost all have made the switch to back-up quarterback. Meanwhile, Jake Locker and Johnny Manziel are out of football, and Blake Bortles will have another chance in 2017 to prove himself as the long-term option for the Jaguars.
We get it, picking a quarterback in the first round is risky business. But sometimes the upside is just too good to pass up.
In the world of baseball, the Chicago Cubs found a winning formula by betting on highly touted prospects to carry the workload and compete at a high level at the major league level. The strategy paid dividends, as the Cubs won the World Series and now have a flurry of All-Stars (including National League MVP Kris Bryant) locked up for the next four years on the MINIMUM CONTRACT. Though baseball does not have a hard cap, the Cubs were able to shave off millions to instead spend on important vets like Dexter Fowler, Jon Lester and John Lackey, the final pieces to a championship puzzle.
Regardless of the sport, every team needs to decide where it wants to spend its money, and where it can potentially save money. Over the last three seasons, the Bears wasted an average of $17 million/year on Jay Cutler, which yielded lackluster results. Regardless of how well you think Cutler performed and what excuses you want to make for him, the Bears were an embarrassment. That's $17 million that can be used to shore up other areas of weakness.
If the Bears could draft a quarterback that is at least decent, they could save a significant amount of money at a premium position for the next four years, and then use that money to place talent around said quarterback.
Now back to Watson. Watson is comparable to two recent no. 1 overall picks who have thrived in the National Football League. Both won National Championships. Both were the reason their teams won National Championships. The biggest knock on each has been the nagging question, "Can they do it at the NFL level?", the same that is being asked about Watson.
And now, a brief history of championship-winning quarterbacks from this decade, with our stars in bold:
2010: Cam Newton, Auburn
2011: AJ McCarron, Alabama
2012: AJ McCarron, Alabama
2013: Jameis Winston, Florida State
2014: Cardale Jones, Ohio State
2015: *INSERT ALABAMA QB HERE*
2016: DeShaun Watson, Clemson
I don't want to take anything away from what the Bama and Ohio State quarterbacks have done, but both schools have cemented themselves as juggernauts, with great coaches. Cardale Jones was Ohio State's third quarterback. I won't say that those schools could have won with anyone, but I don't think that their quarterbacks were the driving reason that they won national titles.
In comparison, I don't think Clemson, Florida State or Auburn could have gotten as far as they had without their star quarterbacks; these were the best quarterbacks in all of college football for their respective years. And while earning attention at the individual level, each showed that they could win. Each has proven himself as a winner, a duel-threat quarterback, yet a precision passer.
Jameis is the best comparison to Watson. Through Jameis' sophomore and junior seasons in the ACC, the Seminoles went 26-1 with him as the team's starter. Through Watson's sophomore and junior years in the ACC? The Tigers went 28-2. The last four ACC championships have been claimed by the two quarterbacks.
Jameis also led the Seminoles to a game-winning score in the fourth quarter of the 2013 National Championship game. Their resumes are similar. The only distinct difference is that Jameis had some character question marks surrounding him entering the draft. Since however, Jameis has silenced the critics, appearing in the Pro Bowl and turning the Bucs into a playoff contender just two years removed from a league-worst 2-14 prior to his arrival.
DeShaun could be similar, only without the extra baggage. No character questions have come to our attention, and instead, pieces like this one have been written about his positive outlook on life. He appears to be a great leader.
Jameis is currently owed $4 million/year for the next two years. The Bears could release Cutler, move on and ignore the Tony Romo rumors. Whoever is behind center next year, the Bears won't be winning the Super Bowl. They're not there yet. But they could select an electrifying, young quarterback who could help them make good strides as they use the cap relief to rebuild the defense and place talent around Watson on the offensive side. The Bears have some legitimate pieces to work with now; Watson and rooking standout Jordan Howard could be a fun dynamic duo for many years to come. If they make the right pick here, in two years the Bears could be a serious threat in the NFC North.
Or the Bears could select the best available player at pick no. 3, such as versatile play-maker Jabrill Peppers. Either way, the Bears cannot afford to let the highest pick the franchise has held since 1972 go to waste. The fans are tired of being trapped in mediocrity, and the good people of Chicago deserve better.
It might be time for the Bears to swing for the fences and pick a quarterback that would re-energize and bring new life to a tired fan base.
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