Thread: Closer look at our Project QB.

Thanks Grizz. He's got the arm to go deep and can throw deep outs on a line. That's a plus. Saw nice touch on a couple of seam routes. Also saw a lot of underthrown balls that he got away with in college that will be sure picks at the pro level. Not much of a movement guy but seems to have decent pocket presence and can side step rush. I'd say he's about what you'd expect from a kid from a small school talent wise and probably a fair pick where he was drafted.

At least he has experience in a pro style offense so Martz's ways shouldn't be all that foreign to him.

LOTS of underthrown balls.... and definately Raw. I like the Cannon though... he can hit the deep out which is always a plus.

Originally Posted by GrizzlyBear91

LOTS of underthrown balls.... and definately Raw. I like the Cannon though... he can hit the deep out which is always a plus.

I noticed that too, along with him staring down receivers. he does make quick decisions though, and fires a rocket.

QB could battle Hanie for Bears' No. 2 job

Dan Pompei On the NFL 8:05 p.m. CDT, May 2, 2011


ct-spt-0503-bears-pompei-martz--20110502

Rather than squander a fifth-round draft pick on a "camp arm," the Bears on Saturday may have made a small investment that will result in a lucrative return.

What they did is draft a quarterback who was hand-picked by Mike Martz and is expected to make the final roster as the No. 3 quarterback, if not the No. 2 quarterback. From all indications, the Bears quarterbacks in 2011 will be Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie and rookie Nathan Enderle.

"I am very comfortable with these three quarterbacks," Martz said when asked if the need for a veteran backup still exists. "Nathan will compete with Caleb for the backup position. I would expect that Caleb will end up being the guy, but Nathan is good enough to be that player."

That's how much the Bears offensive coordinator thinks of his new quarterback from Idaho.

And before you dismiss his opinion as delusional post-draft giddiness, consider Martz has a couple of developmental quarterback pelts on the wall. In another life, Martz identified and brought along Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger.

He tried to develop Dan LeFevour last year. That didn't work because of a roster dilemma. But Martz says he still believes LeFevour will have "a heck of a career."

Enderle, though, is unlike any other young developmental quarterback Martz has had. Martz said Enderle, who started 37 games at Idaho, is further along coming out of college than the others. And at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, he's bigger too.

Critics wondered why the Bears chose Enderle so high when they had other needs. Enderle represented good value in the fifth round. I had a fourth-round grade on Enderle based on opinions from three front-office men from other teams I spoke with prior to the draft.

Martz said he and Bears quarterbacks coach Shane Day looked at quarterbacks on tape separately, and both came to the conclusion Enderle was a fit for their offense. Martz subsequently flew to Idaho for Enderle's pro day and spent the better part of the day with Enderle, picking his brain.

Why Enderle?

"When people look at quarterbacks, it's probably the hardest position to evaluate," Martz said. "Everybody values different things. You can over-evaluate quarterbacks and get too caught up in the arm strength and the size and things like that. For what we look for in a quarterback, he has those things."

Enderle doesn't have a cannon like Cutler. That's OK. The three things Martz prioritizes in a quarterback are accuracy, intelligence and toughness.

You might look at Enderle's 55.1 career completion percentage and conclude he couldn't hit the Merchandise Mart from Wells Street. But that number is deceptive, according to Martz. Enderle's completion percentage improved each year at Idaho, to the point where he completed 63.6 percent of his passes as a senior.

"That number (55.1 percent) is because he had a lot of throwaways," Martz said. "He had nowhere to go with the ball. Really, the throwaways are a good thing. He was very accurate in the workout."

Martz also was impressed with Enderle's ability to comprehend, based on what he showed on tape and what he proved talking ball with Martz. He also liked the way Enderle bounced back from big hits.

"He's very intelligent, very passionate," Martz said. "He sees things exceptionally well. I'm impressed with his ability to react to what he sees. Physically he's a big guy who gets the ball out quickly. He's really good under pressure."

Whereas some of the quarterbacks in the Class of 2011, including No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton, probably will need a lot of work and time before they have a grasp of the pro game, Enderle is more NFL-ready. Martz said he doesn't have to make mechanical changes with Enderle, and he played in a "very sophisticated offense" that asked him to do a lot of the things he will be asked to do with the Bears.

Martz now has a vested interest in developing Enderle. He is his guy.

And Martz plans on sticking around to see Enderle through. Martz is signed only through the 2011 season, and he recently turned down a contract extension. It has been speculated he was so perturbed about a lowball proposal that he might walk away.

"I don't know where the retirement talk came from," Martz said. "I expect to be here for quite some time. Those things all work out. I don't envision working anywhere else."

He might even be here long enough to turn a quarterback of the future into a starter.

dpompei@tribune.com

LOL, maybe if Martz leaves for another OC or HC job we can trade Enderle to him for a first or two seconds. Hell, I'll be glad to see what he can do with the guy. I'd hate to think we wasted another QB pick on somebody who had no one to develop him. The Bears do not have a tradition of attracting top QB coaches. Even Jay's old coach from Denver turned down the opportunity for the one year stint he got from Seattle.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaJeff

Hanie will be the #2 QB and the rook #3. I don't care what Pompei says.

Yep, must have been a slow newsday so he had to come up with something for his column. It's pretty much what some have been saying all along. He's got more going on than your average UDFA QB and he may become a decent pick in another few years. Until then Hanie will be playing second chair QB.

I said it somewhere else, this article either misprinted his senior percentage completion or just made it up to boost the argument made within. We obviously need a 3rd stringer, but this praise is a bit much, no?