Starting Andy Dalton is the right move
Regardless of drafting Justin Fields eleventh general within the 2021 NFL Draft, beginning Andy Dalton is the best transfer for the Chicago Bears.
This offseason, the Chicago Bears signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million deal after what a sub-standard season with a gifted Cowboys offense. Signing Dalton was a shock to many after letting Mitch Trubisky stroll in free company and with Nick Foles nonetheless on the roster, however the group appeared fairly assured within the transfer.
Actually, the Bears social media staff infamously tweeted out a picture of Dalton with the caption “QB1” one week after the deal was introduced.
Then, almost one month later within the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears chosen Justin Fields out of Ohio State with the eleventh general choose. Immediately, that tweet turned a meme and the staff was the butt of jokes but once more.
Even after choosing Fields, nevertheless, head coach Matt Nagy and the remainder of the workers have been insistent that Dalton remains to be the starter. But when we imagine that premise, a easy query have to be requested: Are they doing the best factor?
An adage for the Chicago Bears: To sit down is to succeed
Because the staff introduced in Dalton, Nagy and the Bears have mentioned constantly that he could be the staff’s beginning quarterback for Week 1. Final month, the group doubled-down on that assertion. And reality be advised, it’s the best transfer — for now.
From 2014-19, 16 of 19 quarterbacks chosen within the first spherical of the NFL Draft turned their staff’s starter through the course of their profession (beginning a minimum of eight video games in a season). Of these 16, solely three gamers who had been the beginning quarterback for his or her staff had been chosen to the Professional Bowl or an All-Professional staff, a modest baseline of “success”.
On the flip facet of that, seven of these 16 quarterbacks sat for a minimum of the primary three video games their rookie season and had been in a position to hit the standards for “success” as listed above, an inventory that additionally contains two MVPs. Probably the most notable gamers embrace Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. If we added a number of playoff wins to these standards for achievement, the variety of gamers will increase to 9.
Out of all 32 projected beginning quarterbacks within the NFL for the 2021 season, 17 of them didn’t begin in Week 1 of their rookie yr. Of the 9 who began (or gained) a Tremendous Bowl, six of them weren’t starters in Week 1 of their rookie yr.
Don’t feed Justin Fields to the wolves
The Chicago Bears offensive line put their quarterbacks by way of some unhealthy occasions final yr. The staff had the seventh-worst pass-blocking grade in 2020, per PFF, and misplaced their two finest pass-blockers on the season in Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie.
Sure, Cody Whitehair carried out higher when moved to protect however he’s nonetheless a really inconsistent pass-blocker and has but to eclipse the efficiency from his stellar rookie season.
The Bears additionally drafted Teven Jenkins within the second spherical of this yr’s draft. Jenkins is a stud however rookie offensive linemen have a tendency to start out off sluggish earlier than discovering their groove. It makes extra sense to have Dalton on the helm throughout these rising pains so Fields’ transition because the starter goes that a lot smoother.
As straightforward as it’s to grasp followers’ eagerness to start out Justin Fields instantly, permitting him to be taught to start out the season might yield higher outcomes for each Fields and the Chicago Bears.
