Towards the conclusion of the Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Alabama, Pace fielded questions about the event and the off-season still to come. One of the more interesting that came up was whether he felt quarterback playing experience matter a great deal to him and the rest of the front office in their evaluations. His answer didn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation.
“Yeah, it (experience) carries a lot of weight. I think there’s nothing that can really substitute that. It’s already a big jump from college to the NFL as it is, so the more of that you have, the more beneficial it is.
“It’s a big jump as it is, especially the type of offenses a lot of them are coming from. You have to be careful with that.”
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. Pace grew up with Drew Brees at the helm in New Orleans. Even before he got there and to the NFL, he was a star quarterback at Purdue. He started 37 games for the Boilermakers. So by the time he arrived in the pros, there really wasn’t a much he hadn’t already seen on the field. Like it or not, the learning curve is much steeper for quarterback who just haven’t played much.
Along these lines, it’s clear which of the first or second round graded quarterbacks in this 2017 class rank above the others.
- Deshaun Watson: 35 starts
- Patrick Mahomes: 29 starts
- Deshone Kizer: 23 starts
- Mitch Trubisky: 13 starts
Watson holds a clear lead at the top while Mahomes pulls a strong second-place. Some may not realize it, but this also explains why the Bears took such a significant interest in Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya. Though he has his flaws and detractors, the Hurricanes signal caller also started 38 games in a top football conference.
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It’s clear that Pace puts a premium on quarterbacks who have taken enough time to learn the intricacies of the game. Even if it might be in a simple spread offense. Experience is experience. It’s valuable in any profession. Few men in history have been able to step into a job with minimal experience and come out a success in the long run. It won’t be the only thing that determines which quarterback (if any) the Bears select in April. Still, if people are looking for an arrow to point the direction, this is a good one to have.
