Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Full seven-round draft

Okay, before you tar and feather me, follow my reasoning. According to Pace, he and the Chicago Bears are “fired up” at having Glennon as the starting quarterback. Both he and Fox really like him. He’s their guy, and I believe they’ll stake their jobs on his arm.

If this is the case, then drafting his replacement may not be the way to go. As I mentioned, what if Glennon struggles for a game or two? Fans will clamor for Watson or Trubisky. That puts more pressure on Glennon. Pace and Fox want to do as much as possible to make sure Glennon succeeds for obvious reasons.

The best way to go may be to draft a quarterback who can be a very good backup. They have Mark Sanchez, but he is there to help the incoming rookie. There’s also Connor Shaw, but he’s a longshot at best.

Beathard played in a pro-style offense with the Hawkeyes. He has the ability to roll out of the pocket and still be accurate. Last season was a down one for him after he was the team’s MVP in 2015. The reason for that was injuries to his receiving corps. He has a good feel for the pocket and when to get out.

Beathard has a strong enough arm to throw the deep ball accurately. He also has a touch to make the short pass. He has very good anticipation and can get the ball off, even when under tremendous pressure.

Beathard needs to process plays quicker. His sideline passes need work. He sometimes waits too long to throw then the receiver doesn’t have enough space to catch the ball inbounds.

With Sanchez and Shaw, Beathard doesn’t need to worry about being the guy. He can sit and watch how the game is played. He can also listen to what Sanchez tells him. Sanchez did a great job helping Dak Prescott in Dallas.

There are guys who are career backups. Just take a look at Matt Moore. He’s had a good career being a backup to multiple Miami Dolphins quarterback. If Paces is serious about his faith in Mike Glennon, then looking for his backup is better than looking for his replacement.