Dan LeFevour

Dan LeFevour is coming home. After scoring 149 touchdowns and throwing for 12, 905 yards throughout his 53 game career at Central Michigan, LeFevour becomes the first quarterback the Chicago Bears draft since Kyle Orton in 2005. A Downers Grove, Ill., native, was chosen by the Bears in the sixth-round. This comes as a surprise to many since Chicago already has Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie as the starting and backup quarterback, respectively. LeFevour is expected to challenge Hanie for the backup role. It is somewhat shocking that he even fell that far down in the draft. He has great accuracy and runs just as well as he throws. Teams may have not trusted his high stats based on the competition level he encountered while playing for Central Michigan. The Bears were not planning on drafting a quarterback, but it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. There is also doubt floating around in the nfl regarding if he can adjust to a pro-style offense. LeFevour ran a shotgun-style spread offense. It is a big difference than taking snaps directly from the center. Being a smart passer who understands the game, he should not have a problem learning a new style. He has at least a few years to learn the different system before he may get a chance to be a starting quarterback. Based on Cutler’s performance last year, he may get a shot at proving he can handle Mike Martz’s complex system early. Although LeFevour may turn out to be a good investment in the future, it certainly does not help fill the Bears need right now. Chicago is fully invested in Cutler as being the franchise quarterback they desperately have been looking for and Caleb Hanie is capable enough to fill the void in case Cutler goes down. The Bears have holes in the defensive backfield and offensive line. They used their first three picks on the defensive side of the ball, but they should have gotten talent for the offensive line or even add a proven receiver to the mix. This could even send the wrong message to Cutler. Although there is no chance that LeFevour will challenge the starting spot this year, he is clearly a quarterback who has the potential to eventually become the face of an organization. Unless the Bears are planning on trading him when he eventually develops into the player he can be, it is clear they have at least some intentions to eventually use him as a starter. Even if it is just an insurance plan in case Cutler doesn’t regain his edge, it may still force some unnecessary tension in the locker room between the veteran and the rookie. Hopefully, LeFevour can use Cutler as a learning tool for when he does finally get his shot on this team or any other one. Although he is not very happy about how low he went in the draft, he could not be happier being back in his hometown. This ultimately turns into a draft pick that has little risk and can eventually pay off. For now, only time can tell whether LeFevour will ever contribute to Chicago.

Tags: 20th Century Fox, Caleb Hanie, Chicago Bears, Dan LeFevour, draft, LeFevour