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Hey all,
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“I think he brings a little more speed and athleticism than we’ve had there in past years. You can kind of see that college football is moving in that direction. You have to have a guy, when things break down, that can manufacture some yardage.”
-Cal Coach Jeff Tedford on starting quarterback Zach Maynard
The announcement came in the form of a Cal Athletic’s press release last week, and was followed up with comments from Coach Tedford at the Cal-Fresno State press conference a few days later--Zach Maynard will be the Bears’ starting quarterback heading into this season.
The gamble of transferring from Buffalo to join his half-brother Keenan Allen at Cal appears to have paid off for the time being, as Maynard appears to have shown Tedford enough for him to have the coaches’ confidence that he is the player to lead the Bears.
A few thoughts on the announcement.
The timing makes sense.
Initially, I was surprised that the starting quarterback was named so early in the offseason. After all, Tedford had appeared to be hesitant to anoint Maynard the starter, despite him taking the bulk of first-team reps during the second half of spring practice. Also, most previous quarterback battles lasted well into fall camp, and it wasn’t until the final scrimmage that there appeared to be any indication that this season was going to be any different.
However, Tedford has stated that he wanted to make the QB decision early and public, so as to allow Maynard the entire summer to begin growing into the role as the team’s leader. Given Maynard’s short time with the team, Tedford wanted to use the next few months to let the team embrace and rally around Maynard as the leader, while giving Maynard more time to pick up the offense.
Also, with the decision of the starting QB out of the way, it gives other parts of the offense time to begin setting into place. We now know Mitchell Schwartz will start at right tackle to protect Maynard’s blindside (Maynard is a leftie). The coaching staff can also begin further considering how they might tweak the offense now that they know the more mobile and elusive Maynard will be at the helm.
And don’t underestimate the importance of the receivers taking their bulk of reps with the starter during offseason workouts, rather than splitting up the reps among three quarterbacks.
It’s a bit of a gamble, as this wouldn’t happen unless Tedford was fairly confident that Maynard was the guy, but if he’s going to take a shot, now is the best time to have made it.
Maynard brings a new face to the offense.
I’m not on the coaching staff so I’m not going to pretend like I have any sense of who should be the starting quarterback with two of the three top candidates not having taken a single live snap for the Bears. Those who gnash their teeth and claim to have the best idea of who should be the starter because they’ve seen a few live scrimmages are fooling themselves. Believe it or not, but these coaches know best.
I’ve written previously that despite the number of quarterbacking inconsistencies the past several years, Tedford has made the right decision every single preseason as to who should be starting the season as QB1. Every single year.
I’m not going to begin doubting him now, and the fact that Maynard was named the starter this early on only affirms that he must be happy about what he has in Maynard.
But if you read into his comments, it’s not just that he’s happy with Maynard’s ability to throw the ball, though he has said he’s been pleased with Maynard’s ability to make all the throws. Rather, Tedford has gone out of his way to also praise Maynard’s ability to create plays when things break down, and the added dimension that Maynard’s mobility and athleticism brings.
I’ve openly laughed at reports that claim Tedford is switching his offense to the spread this season, as they’ve been mostly lazy and egregiously incorrect examples of journalism. However, it’s not a stretch to consider that we’ll be seeing more spread elements this season than in years past.
Our offense has seen a number of multiple receiver sets, and handoffs from the shotgun, but I think we may see a few more zone reads and designed QB runs than in years past. The coaches will be looking to take advantage of Maynard’s athleticism in big ways, though it probably won’t be the fundamental shift that many may be thinking. It’s just that for the first time, the Bears have a QB they can actually starting designing such types of plays around.
Competition still exists, and for good reason.
I could bore you with details and statistics, but the simple truth is that very rarely does a team’s starting QB end up starting every game over the course of a season. Cal fans painfully saw firsthand the importance of having depth at the quarterback position, with a QB ready to come in to lead the offense at a moment’s notice.
Despite Maynard’s anointment as starter, there’s still a good chance that either Brock Mansion or Allan Bridgford will see quite a few significant reps this season.
Consider the fact that a more mobile quarterback is more prone to injury, simply by design. They’re involved in more running plays and opposing defenders are going to get after the QB a bit more aggressively to try and take away the running threat.
Even if it isn’t by injury, there are going to be games where the starting quarterback simply isn’t feeling it that day for whatever reason. They may simply be off or may not match up that well against an opposing defense. Although Tedford has shown the propensity to stick with a quarterback a bit longer than some would like, he’s also shown that he’s willing to throw in a backup quarterback to see if he can provide a spark to the offense.
The jury is still out on Allan Bridgford, and he’s going to get more opportunities to push Maynard in practice this fall. Mansion still provides a fair share of experience, and will be ready at a moment’s notice.
Let’s hope both players bring their A game in the next few months and continue to push Maynard. It will certainly make everyone better.
Maynard’s development will be interesting to watch.
Zach Maynard has had a pretty interesting career trajectory. It’s been far from the prototypical Elite-11, blue chip recruit that has either stepped in right away or quietly redshirted behind some established starter for a few years.
Rather Maynard was moderately recruited high school quarterback, before low ACT scores caused schools to back off. He ended up at Buffalo, committing after the national signing date.
He ended up starting in his sophomore season at Buffalo in 2009, completing 57.5% of his passes for 2,694 yards and 18 TDs and 15 interceptions. He also accounted for 300 yards on the ground on 87 carries (a fairly hefty amount for a QB) and a touchdown score.
Maynard then decided to transfer to Cal after the season was over after Turner Gill left for Kansas, and took advantage of the opportunity to start fresh and join his brother Keenan Allen. He then sat out the past year due to NCAA eligibility rules, and just began taking reps with the Bears during spring practice.
In a span of just two months really, Maynard went from third on the depth chart, to being announced the team’s starter headed into the fall.
The entire thing has been a bit crazay if you look at it really. So it’s not a surprise that I’m going to be following his career very closely for reasons other than the obvious ones that he’ll be quarterbacking for the Bears.
The simple fact is that there are a lot of crazy factors to consider with Maynard’s development.
Maynard has played just one year of FBS level football, but it was enough to have him be the most experienced quarterback on the roster in terms of playing experience.
He’s also had to sit out for a past year, and Maynard’s admitted to that leading to some early hiccups in performance in Spring ball.
He’s also only had one spring to work with the team, and the upcoming summer and fall camp will be the only time left to become a complete master of the playbook.
Very interesting...
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Ryan writes,
"What does BWF think of Rivals #40 recruit Zach Kline?
I need breaks from wedding planning, and its hard to find new and interesting material about our Cal Bears now during the offseason, so I'm left to reading up on recruiting."
First off, congrats on getting engaged, Ryan. It’s a good thing you asked about Zach Kline, because I've been meaning to do a writeup on Kline for a while. The timing is even better with Zach Kline having nearly dominated every west coast recruiting headline last weekend.
Zach Kline is the first commitment of the 2012 Bears’ class, and you can’t ask for a better face to headline the incoming group of recruits. If the most recruiting ratings stick, Zach Kline will arguably be the highest rated QB of the Tedford era which is saying quite a bit given the number of Elite 11 and All-American QBs he’s pulled in over the past decade.
According to Rivals, Kline is a the 40th top recruit and the #2 pro-style QB in the nation. He’s seen by many as the top QB on the west coast, and has garnered a four-star rating with Rivals, and may even bump up to an elite five-star rating when the recruiting game is all said and done.
Kline plays for San Ramon Valley High, and this is actually what might be limiting him from a five-star rating. He doesn’t have the strongest supporting cast, and the team probably won’t make it too deep into the playoffs if they even make it this year. He’s the brightest spot on an average team, and he is again unlikely to put up the type of gaudy numbers you’d like to see from five-star prospect.
Kline had previously accepted an invitation to play at the US Army All-American game (the more prestigious of the All-American games, in my opinion), but just recently switched his commitment to the Under-Armor All-American game because of a personal commitment.
Overall, I’ve been really high on Kline for quite some time now. Early on, there were a number of scouts who wondered whether Tedford had pulled the trigger a bit early on Kline, as there were a number of strong QB prospects on the west coast this year. But thus far, Kline has done everything to prove those doubters wrong, and prove Tedford right.
The first thing that sticks out to me about Zach Kline is the cannon he calls his arm. From the very first throw in his highlights, you see the ball absolutely fly off his hand. He also has the ability to squeeze the ball in some very tight pockets, and can make all the throws on the field. He shows great accuracy on deep balls, and shows impressive zip and accuracy on deep outs and comeback routes. He also throws a decent ball on the run, and is all in all, about as fundamentally sound as you’ll find in a QB prospect his age (just a junior in high school).
He also seemingly has all the intangibles and character traits you want in a quarterback. In most QB camp reports, observers have noted his energy on the practice field, urging and challenging other participants, and racing to be one of the first up in drills. He’s made great connections with some of the top WR prospects in the state including Cal recruiting targets in Bryce Treggs and Jordan Payton.
What’s even more encouraging is that the kid seems to be saying and doing all the right things in his preparation to one day quarterback for the Bears. He’s worked hard in the weight room in the offseason, putting on a solid 20 pounds of muscle, measuring at a solid 6’2 and 210 pounds now. You don’t typically see that type of dedication from a high school quarterback.
Kline has also been on a tear in the camp circuits, winning multiple MVP honors at Nike camps, and standing out as the top QB during the Elite 11 regional camp last weekend. He’ll be participating at the Elite 11 camp in Los Angeles this summer as well.
Kline has also recently stated that he will be enrolling at Cal next spring so that he can get a heads start with his academics, strength and conditioning, as well as participate with the Bears spring practice.
It’s almost as if he’s doing everything he possibly can to put himself in a position to compete on Day 1 for the starting QB spot, which is practically unheard of for a Tedford quarterback, especially considering the depth of quarterbacks in front of him.
I like Zach Kline a whole lot, and it’s the most excited I’ve been about a high school quarterback recruit in some time. Granted, it’s just May, and the guy still has his entire senior season to play. However, I’m continually encouraged by his skills, and all the work he appears to be putting in to continually get better. The future looks very bright for Kline.
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Spring Practice officially ended on April 30th, and since we’re still 115 days away from the season opener against Fresno State (sigh), I thought it’d only be appropriate to at least look back and see what we learned from the past month.
Quarterback
What we learned:
All signs point to Zach Maynard entering Fall Camp as QB#1 in the practice pecking order. Maynard entered Spring Ball second or third in the rotation, and by the final two weeks of camp had been taking the bulk of the first team snaps.
Coach Tedford claimed much of it was to truly allow Maynard to familiarize himself with the offense given his first year in the system, but he had also made it clear that Maynard had done the right things in practice to justify the reps. Tedford cited his increasing command of the huddle and offense, while also praising Maynard’s physical ability in his throwing ability, as well as being able to create plays with his legs in either buying extra time scrambling for extra yards.
Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford will likely enter camp as #2 and #3 respectively. Mansion appeared to be solid in his increasingly limited first team reps, but his accuracy was still inconsistent. Bridgford on the other hand showed poise and accuracy by all accounts, but was limited to working exclusively with the second string.
Backup QB Beau Sweeney is transferring, after realizing his window to start games at Cal is all but over, and RS frosh Austin Hinder has shown promise, but is still likely another year or two away from vying for the starting spot.
Remaining Questions:
Nothing is set in stone yet, and there is still plenty of time over the summer and in the fall for things to change. Keep in mind that plenty of big name FBS starting quarterbacks haven’t been named until a week before the opening game (Cam Newton, Landry Jones, to name a few).
The question at this point is whether Maynard will show enough consistency to match the potential that Tedford sees in him. Tedford appears to be very intrigued with Maynard as a QB prospect, but it will be interesting to see if he will be completely sold that Maynard will be the team’s best option to win games this year.
Will Bridgford show enough to begin battling Maynard for first team reps in the fall? He has reportedly looked very sharp running with the twos, so I wonder whether it’s just a matter of time before he gets a chance with the ones.
Mansion will likely be 2nd or 3rd in the rotation, unless he shows dramatic improvement and is visibly more consistent than the other two.
Runningback
What we learned
Isi Sofele is your unquestioned starting runningback at this point. No other backs this Spring have shown enough to overtake Sofele, and frankly, none have shown enough to even be an unquestioned #2 in the runningback rotation.
Covaughn Deboskie-Johnson has put in some quality performances, but was dogged by Tedford for showing up to camp a bit overweight. CDJ has attributed the excess weight to his limited conditioning coming back from his offseason injury and rehabilitation.
Trajaun Briggs received reps coming back from a season-ending injury last year, but hasn’t shown the burst or consistency in practice yet to set himself apart.
Walkon Mike Manuel impressed early on in practice, but was limited with injury towards the end. The same could be said of true frosh and early enrollee Darren Ervin who was nearly hobbled with injuries all spring. Dasarte Yarnway didn’t practice because of injuries as well.
Tedford has stated that he will be looking at the younger guys, incoming freshmen Brendon Bigelow, Daniel Lasco, and JC transfer CJ Anderson to fight their way into the rotation.
Fullback Eric Stevens appears to have the FB spot all but locked up at this point as well.
Remaining Questions:
Who will emerge as a serious #2 back, or possibly a 1A at this point? It’s obvious the runningback position is a point of concern for the coaches, and it must be a bit disconcerting that no real contenders have set themselves apart at this point.
Also, I do wonder how much is really expected of the incoming class of backs. Brendon Bigelow is the most talented of the bunch, but he has yet to play a full season since his sophomore year of high school, and is coming off of two major knee injuries. Bigelow has Jahvid Best-esque potential, but the coaches are going to be cautious in rushing him back from injury.
Daniel Lasco shows great power and size to match his six foot frame, but may need another year in the weight room before he’s ready to compete at the collegiate level.
The most likely option to play right away is CJ Anderson, the Laney transfer who shows great balance and shiftiness. As a transfer, he’ll be expected to step in right away, but it still remains to be seen how he does with the Bears.
Wide Receiver
What we learned:
The wide receiver depth chart is pretty clear. Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones return as your starters, and one of the better receiving duos in the conference.
After that, senior Michael Calvin and RS frosh Kaelin Clay are your likely 3rd and 4th options, though it’s unclear who will fit in which spot. Calvin put in his best spring camp yet, and appears ready to begin living up to the promise he showed as a freshman recruit (although we’ve been saying this for years). Clay showed some of the best speed and playmaking ability of all the receivers, but his size and drops indicate he’ll still need some seasoning, though he’ll most certainly contribute this year.
Remaining Questions:
With the departure of Alex Lagemann and Tevin Carter, both having reportedly given up football, the depth after the top four receivers appears a bit murkier.
The coaches are high on senior Coleman Edmond, though he’s missed a number of reps this spring due to injury. RS frosh Terrance Montgomery has also done little to set himself apart from the other receivers. There are a number of other walk-on receivers who may contribute in Ross Bostock and Jackson Bouza, but it’s unknown how much they will play this year.
It’s also unclear whether or not incoming true frosh Maurice Harris (cousin of Keenan Allen and Zach Maynard) will play right away. Initially, I thought there would be enough depth at the position that Harris would redshirt, though I’m not so sure anymore. It will depend on how healthy Edmond can be, and how well Harris plays in camp.
Tight End
What we learned:
The only real certainty here is that Anthony Miller is our starting tight end. He has reportedly looked much sharper in practice, and the conditioning with new S&C Coach Blasquez has apparently helped as Miller looks to be in much better shape this year. Here’s hoping that Miller returns to his sophomore year form, as he really does have the potential to be one of the better tight ends in the conference and could put himself in NFL draft discussions with a solid senior season.
Wide Receiver Spencer Hagan has converted to tight end, and although he’ll need to bulk up for the position, appears to be a great fit there. Hagan has always had great pass-catching abilities, and shows good technique and plays with good pad level. Unfortunately, Hagan took a big shot to the ribs in the second to last practice and was sidelined for a good chunk of time.
Remaining Questions:
RS junior Spencer Ladner and RS frosh Jacob Wark will battle for the second TE spot. I do believe Ladner has the edge here with his experience and the fact that Wark is coming back from a season ending ankle injury, but both will likely see plenty of playing time this year.
I wonder if this will be the year Ladner turns it on, as he has yet to be a dynamic receiving option at TE despite reports of his great hands in practice. Wark may be the most physical blocker the Bears have at TE, but we’ll see how much he can contribute to the passing game.
The Bears are fairly thin in terms of depth at tight end, with reports of QB Beau Sweeney taking reps at the position during player-led workouts over the summer. Hagan’s switch to TE provides a little padding, but they’re an injury or two away from having incoming freshman Richard Rodgers plug in and play right away, though I do believe it’s in his best interest to have him sit out for a year.
Offensive Line
What we learned:
Despite the injuries to a number of starting linemen (namely, LT Mitchell Schwartz, C Dominic Galas) it looks like the starting lineup for the offensive line is set. Of course, expect some players to possibly move up or down, but I wouldn’t be surprised of the following five to start on day one: senior Mitchell Schwartz at backside tackle, junior Brian Schwenke at guard, senior Dominic Galas at center, senior Justin Cheadle at right guard, and junior Matt Summers-Gavin at front side tackle.
Mitchell Schwartz is unquestionably the best tackle on the team as a four year starter, and will play either left or right tackle depending on who wins the starting QB job (as Maynard is a leftie). Matt Summers-Gavin is probably the best overall lineman on the team, and will need to plug in on the right side of the line because of the lack of depth there.
Bill Tyndall and Tyler Rigsbee both reportedly did good things in practice and will be counted on for depth.
We also learned that OT Matt Williams is probably another year away from contributing this year, and will probably redshirt.
Dominica Galas is the Bears’ bet at center, although Mark Brazinski got a number of reps during the Spring because of Galas’ injury. Brazinski, a highly touted recruit will get quality reps this season, but is unlikely to overtake Galas at center.
Brian Schwenke and Justin Cheadle are the most experienced guards, and I’d honestly be every surprised if either were to not start this fall.
Remaining Questions:
What does the Bears’ depth look like? The makeshift line was abused by the dominating Bears defensive line that has the fortunate issue of having plenty of depth. The starters are fairly obvious, but there are plenty of questions of who will be able to step up right away if called upon.
Alejandro Crosthwaite, Sam DeMartinis, Geoff Gibson and the aforementioned Brazinski and Rigsbee may have the talent, but few have seen significant playing time if at all the past few seasons.
The tackle position is the least deep at this point, especially after Charles Siddoway and Charles Ragland left the team for academic reasons.
Also, even the established veterans have a number of question marks at this point, as the group has consistently either underperformed the past few seasons or shown they just may be lacking in the size and skills to be a dominant line. I also have questions about Summers-Gavin at tackle, as he struggled in the position last year and appears to be more naturally suited at the guard spot. His move to tackle is certainly based more on need than where he is best projected.
Here’s hoping Coach M can work his magic, but will it be expecting too much in his first year back?
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The NFL Draft has come and gone, and all in all, it was an incredibly successful draft for many Bears players.
The Golden Bears saw four players drafted, the second most in the Pac-12 next to USC who had a whopping nine.
2nd Round
24 (56 overall) New England Patriots - Shane Vereen, RB
While I had projected Shane Vereen going in the fourth round, that was based more on where I figured teams would value Vereen, versus what I felt he was worth. Teams loved his versatility and production in college, but were concerned about his ability to be an every down back at the professional level.
However, I was ecstatic when the Patriots drafted Vereen in the second round as the third runningback taken in the draft. The draft makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
The Patriots got by last year with a runningback by committee approach last year, though three of their rushers are aging and in the twilights of their careers (Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor, and Sammy Morris). Though BenJarvus Green-Ellis was productive, he wasn’t going to be able to carry the bulk on his own.
With Vereen, the Patriots get a spectacular and versatile back who can run in between the tackles, show some shiftiness and flash in the open field, as well as catch the ball out of the backfield or in the slot. The Patriots also drafted Stevan Ridley in the third round, a bigger bruising back out of LSU, so it looks like they plan on getting younger and more well rounded in their rushing attack next year.
Funny note: apparently Bill Bilicheck called Vereen’s house phone (not cell phone) to tell Vereen that the Pats had drafted him. Shane Vereen’s mom decided to pick up the phone at the last minute.
*phone ring*
Mrs. Vereen: Hello?
Bilicheck: Hello, is Shane there?
Mrs. Vereen: Who’s this?
Bilicheck: This is Coach Bill Bilicheck of the New England Patriots.
Mrs. Vereen: Oh, okay. *off phone* SHANE!!!
*heard in the background* What!?!
Mrs. Vereen: *still off phone* It’s for you!
3rd Round
29 (93 overall) Chicago Bears - Chris Conte DB
Chris Conte’s rise from backup CB to first-team all conference safety has been astonishing and fun to watch. I still had questions that most NFL scouts had seen enough to see from Conte to see who most Cal fans saw this year: an athletic, instinctive safety prospect with good toughness and technique to be a capable player in the NFL. I thought despite his tremendous workouts, that Conte would either slip to the late rounds or go undrafted.
Nope. Conte shot up to the 3rd round to the Chicago Bears, a team who constantly needs depth at the safety position.
Conte, an LA native, will likely need to get used to the cold weather, but will have a chance to provide immediate depth to the safety or nickelback position, or contribute on special teams.
I’ve read more than a few reports that have called him a poor man’s John Lynch, which sounds more racist than anything, but being compared to a future hall of famer isn’t a bad label by any means.
6th Round
24 (189 overall) Denver Broncos - Mike Mohamed, LB
I’m sure Mohamed’s slide had to be a bit awkward and uncomfortable for the five year veteran and defensive leader of the Bears. Mohamed has won multiple collegiate accolades including being the conference leader in tackles his junior season.
Yet, the draft wore on, with nearly two hundred picks going by before Mohamed’s name was finally chosen by none other than Stanford Alum and NFL hall of famer John Elway, the current executive vice president of football operations of the Denver Broncos.
“I was hoping for the best, hoping for something earlier, but I knew realistically that’s about where they had me.” -Mike Mohamed
I had Mohamed going in the 6th round, based purely on the fact that Mohamed did all things well, but didn’t seem to jump out on highlight footage or measurables in any one area. However, I think Denver has one of the late round steals of the draft. Mohamed provides the smarts and instincts to be a solid role player to any linebacking squad.
Mohamed will join fellow Cal player Syd’Quan Thompson the Broncos roster as he battles for a spot on the team. The Broncos don’t have the best depth at the linebacker position, so I think Mohamed has a pretty good shot of sticking with the team. After all, he’s spent nearly his entire career playing in a way that shouts, “Told ya so!” so why stop now?
Unfortunately for the other Bears, their status is a bit more in limbo due to the NFL lockout. In years past, free agency worked as a blessing in disguise for some players as it allowed them a bit more freedom to choose the team they felt they had the best shot in landing an actual roster spot with. This year however, they will have to wait until the lockout is over before they can actually sign with a team.
Hopefully for the sake of everyone involved, the lockout will be sooner than later. I have no doubt in my mind that some players will end up in an NFL camp when the time comes.
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