Chicago Bears NFL Draft: James Morgan is built for the Bears

Draft Profile – James Morgan

James Morgan’s story is one of perseverance and fortuity. While it is well documented, it’s worth repeating, as it gives you a glimpse into the type of person he is. Despite being lightly recruited out of high school, Morgan secured a scholarship at Bowling Green University where he played in the air raid system before moving on to Florida International University as a graduate transfer after his redshirt sophomore season.

However, Morgan left Bowling Green without the promise of another starting job. Instead, he attacked this mission like he does every other one in his life — with tenacity and poise. Morgan obtained a list of contacts from a recruiting source, which he then used to distribute a mass e-mail to approximately 60 coaches. The email was heartfelt, but the message was simple — Morgan wanted a chance to compete for a starting spot.

As luck would have it, Bryn Renner, a recruiting coordinator with FIU at the time, opened the email which had been sitting in his in-box for 33 days. After diving into Morgan’s film, FIU offered him a spot on the team. It was the only response Morgan received.

Fast forward to today, and Morgan, like every other prospect, finds himself in “draft limbo.” Due to the impacts of COVID-19, Pro Days, and team visits have been canceled, taking away precious opportunities for players to showcase their talents even further.

This is not unfamiliar territory for Morgan, who has experience being very resourceful. How resourceful? He’s spending a lot of his time watching the All-22 film of NFL teams, especially the ones who have shown interest, to get a better feel for their offense. Also, in a bit of symmetry, Morgan has even recorded his own “Pro Day” and is sending it out to NFL teams. No doubt, this time, he will garner more than one response. That’s because of the impressive skillset Morgan boasts at the quarterback position.

Standing 6-foot-4, and weighing 229 pounds, one Southeast area NFL scout believes Morgan has one of the three strongest arms in this year’s NFL Draft. He has tremendous anticipation, is able to throw wide receivers open, and with so much experience (42 starts) in both an air-raid and pro-style system, has a great ability to read and process coverages pre and post-snap. His big arm also enables him to make every NFL throw to every part of the field.

Morgan would also bring outstanding intangibles to the Bears. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with Morgan raves about his leadership skills, poise, and other qualities that make him an ideal teammate. This is underscored by the fact that he was immediately voted captain of FIU upon his arrival. Morgan would be a great candidate to learn Nagy’s system next year behind Nick Foles and then compete for the starting job in 2021. We discussed the prospects of playing for the Bears when we caught up with him recently as he prepares for the draft.