How David Fales Fits with the Chicago Bears
Published by Matt Eurich on May 10, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
A little more than a week ago, Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery said he did not believe in drafting a quarterback in the late rounds of the draft.
Fast forward to the sixth round and the 183rd overall pick on Saturday afternoon, and the Bears have found a new backup/developmental quarterback in David Fales.
In two seasons as a starter for San Jose State, he completed 639 passes for 8,382 yards with 66 touchdowns, 22 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 161.7.
He measured in at 6’2″ and 212 pounds at the NFL combine back in February and has good size for the position.
He has a nice release, displays good throwing mechanics and is a confident, vocal leader on and off the field.
NFL.com’s Nolan Nawrocki wrote that “concerns about his height and arm strength will limit his appeal, but at worst should be a quality backup in a precision-matchup system.”
While he is good in the short-to-intermediate passing game, he lacks the ideal arm strength to push the ball downfield. His weak throwing arm causes his deep balls to fly without much arc, and he tends to put up floaters when trying to hit a target down the field when he faces pressure.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is concerned about that lack of arm strength: “Fales goes through his progressions in the pocket, but he lacks the physical arm talent to fit balls into windows.”
It is rare to find a quarterback in the sixth round who can develop into a superstar in this league, but Fales has the opportunity to learn in Chicago without experiencing much pressure.
After signing a seven-year deal this offseason to stay in Chicago, Jay Cutler remains the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Despite his limited time in Marc Trestman‘s offense last season because of injuries, Cutler set a career high with an 89.2 quarterback rating.
The team knows how important the backup quarterback position is after Josh McCown stepped in admirably last season when Cutler was injured.
McCown moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, leaving Jordan Palmer as the No. 2 behind Cutler.
Palmer, who has completed just 10 passes during his NFL career for 59 yards and two interceptions, is not the flashiest backup quarterback in the league, but the Bears are satisfied with what he brings to the table.
He worked extensively this offseason with some quarterback prospects as a quarterback consultant. His prized pupil was third overall selection Blake Bortles, but he also worked with Fales this offseason.
Being drafted by Chicago is a perfect situation for Fales. He gets the opportunity to learn and develop under Trestman and to continue working with his mentor Palmer.
It is unlikely that Fales will see any playing time in 2014, barring an injury to both Cutler and Palmer, but he gives the team a young quarterback who can develop at his own pace. The hope would be that he can develop enough in his first season to make Palmer expendable in 2015 and move into the backup role behind Cutler for years to come.
All stats and combine information courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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