Saturday, April 30, 2011
Posted: 2:29 p.m.Updated: 3:50 p.m.
By John MullinCSNChicago.com
Nathan Enderle draft capsule
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The never-ending Bears quest for help at quarterback added the name of Idahos Nathan Enderle to the list Saturday as the Bears went (again) for depth behind Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie.
The Bears were disappointed last draft when they invested a sixth-round pick on a young quarterback, Dan LeFevour from Central Michigan. He was thrust into a preseason cauldron too soon because of a shoulder injury to Hanie.
The Cincinnati Bengals signed LeFevour to their roster after he was released in preseason cuts by the Bears, who were forced to then add veteran Todd Collins in the hunt for a viable depth chart at the games most important single position.
Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz personally worked Enderle out, a key factor since Martz has not been overly high on Hanie since coming to the Bears.
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Enderle is 6-4, 240 pounds, and is described by Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki as too analytical on the fieldoverthinks the game. That should make him very close to the kind of individual Martz wants with his offensive schemes.
Hes got a very strong arm and is very intelligent, said player personnel director Tim Ruskell.
Enderle has dealt successfully with books more complex than even a Martz playbook. I was a pre-med major when I started, and then I went into art and architecture, Enderle said. So I graduated in the college of art and architecture.
Intellectual excellence does not automatically translate into mastery of playbooks or defenses for that matter. Craig Krenzel was a molecular biology major at Ohio State and has gone on to his chosen field after abysmal flops on Soldier Field in 2004.
Enderles production fell off somewhat in his senior season and he completed less than 55 percent of his passes for his career. But the Bears believe his slip was due on large part to players graduating and leaving the Idaho program.
The Bears are scheduled now to open training camp on July 22 and could bring in a fourth quarterback for camp. In any case, for the regular season, the desire is always to go with three, Ruskell said.
Enderles NFL orientation should receive a nice boost from former Idaho teammate Eddie Williams, a running back on the Bears reservefuture roster.
I am very close with Eddie, Enderle said. We were roommates back in college and really good friends. I try not to ask him about football because I figure he gets enough of that as is. He is more than happy with the organization, they know what they are doing and he says they are just spot on with their training and things like that.
John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider, and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.