Article: Free agent Hanie made a wise choice (Chicago instead of Dallas)

[Angus]

Free agent Hanie made wise choice

May 2, 2008
BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs@suntimes.com

It would've been easy for Caleb Hanie to stay close to home and sign a free-agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

The native of Forney, Texas, grew up a Cowboys fan, after all, just on the other side of Dallas from the team's headquarters in Irving.

But like every other free agent with a dream of following the path taken by Tony Romo after he was undrafted out of Eastern Illinois, Hanie realized he needed to pick a trail that isn't blocked by Romo.

That brought him to the Bears and the three-day rookie minicamp that begins today, the first chance the team has to work with top pick Chris Williams. Hanie will be in competition with fellow free agent Nick Hill of Southern Illinois.

''I really weighed all the options,'' said Hanie, who started the last two seasons for Colorado State after spot action his first two years. ''Although it would've been nice to stay close to home, I just felt Chicago was the best situation for me with only two quarterbacks on the roster, and they're both on short contracts. The Bears told me they were only bringing one other free-agent quarterback in.

''Really, that's it. Just the opportunity to make the team this year, possibly, and advance my career as fast as I can.''

The Cowboys would've thought long and hard about drafting Hanie if they had a seventh-round pick. Instead, they put on a full-court press to sign him when the draft ended, but about an hour after it was over, he concluded the Bears were a better match.

Hanie passed for a career-high 2,455 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, completing 64.2 percent for a Rams team that stumbled to a 3-9 record. The issue most teams had was that he offset his 29 touchdown passes the last two seasons with 27 interceptions.

Scouts recognized what he had to work with, though. Colorado State's offensive line struggled last season. His junior year, top running back Kyle Bell went down with an ACL injury before the season started. He never had a running game to lean on.

''He did throw quite a few interceptions, but we thought that he was on a bad team trying to make plays more than making poor decisions,'' one NFL quarterbacks coach said. ''He didn't have a great team around him, and it looked like he was just a competitor, trying to make plays and give his team a chance to win more than having a chronic problem making bad decisions.''

While some analysts have criticized the Bears for not drafting a quarterback high, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has raved about their pickup of Hanie.

''It's a great situation,'' Hanie said. ''I'm just lucky to be in Chicago.''

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/927523,CST-SPT-bear02.stng

 

[Dcowboy84]

Would've been kinda cool having Caleb here to compete.

i went to CSU and witnessed his struggles the year before last when our RB went down....and the article is speaking the truth when it says we had a team that just sucked.

I definitely agree he has a much better chance of making an impact w/ Chicago though, and i wish him the best of luck.

 

[Temo]

Kiper raved about this pick up? Right, he's that good but no team wanted to spend a 7th round pick on him.

 

[Velvet Jones]

So was Romo..

 

[Doomsday101]

One good thing about being an UDFA over a 6th or 7th rd draft pick is at least you can pretty much pick the team and best opportunity for yourself.

 

[gimmesix]

I don't see why it's such a wise choice.

One of two things can happen in Chicago:

1) He can make the roster as the backup, just as he had a chance to do here.

or

2) He can be rushed into starting, which would probably not be a good thing.

In Dallas, if he made the roster as a backup, he would be groomed for a few years then either traded or someone could sign him as a prepared free agent.

If Chicago rushes him because of its lack of quarterbacks, it could end up messing up his career (and we've all seen how patient the Bears are at developing quarterbacks).

So the question is, would you rather go be a backup on a Super Bowl-caliber team and spend time learning to be an NFL quarterback, or would you rather go be a backup on a so-so team and possibly be forced to step in at quarterback before you're really ready?

These guys have such a strong belief in their abilities that they sometimes fail to see the big picture. There is a bigger opportunity in Chicago, but it isn't necessarily better.

 

[iceberg]

I don't see why it's such a wise choice.

One of two things can happen in Chicago:

1) He can make the roster as the backup, just as he had a chance to do here.

or

2) He can be rushed into starting, which would probably not be a good thing.

In Dallas, if he made the roster as a backup, he would be groomed for a few years then either traded or someone could sign him as a prepared free agent.

If Chicago rushes him because of its lack of quarterbacks, it could end up messing up his career (and we've all seen how patient the Bears are at developing quarterbacks).

So the question is, would you rather go be a backup on a Super Bowl-caliber team and spend time learning to be an NFL quarterback, or would you rather go be a backup on a so-so team and possibly be forced to step in at quarterback before you're really ready?

These guys have such a strong belief in their abilities that they sometimes fail to see the big picture. There is a bigger opportunity in Chicago, but it isn't necessarily better.

we have 2 qb's and our practice squad qb also we're supposedly high on.

chicago *does* need a qb and backing up grossman for a year and taking notes on how NOT to play the position could help him start in a year or two.

here it's likely he'd still be backing up romo unless romo gets hurts or ... elsewise.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't see why it's such a wise choice.

One of two things can happen in Chicago:

1) He can make the roster as the backup, just as he had a chance to do here.

or

2) He can be rushed into starting, which would probably not be a good thing.

In Dallas, if he made the roster as a backup, he would be groomed for a few years then either traded or someone could sign him as a prepared free agent.

If Chicago rushes him because of its lack of quarterbacks, it could end up messing up his career (and we've all seen how patient the Bears are at developing quarterbacks).

So the question is, would you rather go be a backup on a Super Bowl-caliber team and spend time learning to be an NFL quarterback, or would you rather go be a backup on a so-so team and possibly be forced to step in at quarterback before you're really ready?

These guys have such a strong belief in their abilities that they sometimes fail to see the big picture. There is a bigger opportunity in Chicago, but it isn't necessarily better.

I guess because Chicago does not seem to have their QB of the future. I doubt Chicago will rush him into the lineup just like Dallas did not rush Romo even though we knew the future QB of the team was very much in doubt. QC was not going to be the future nor was Vinny or Drew so coming to Dallas was a chance to come to a franchise whose QB situation was very much in doubt.

 

[Velvet Jones]

I really don't mind. 'CaHa' sounds stupid anyway

 

[CrazyCowboy]

good luck to him!

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Looks like he is making the same decision Tony made years ago.

Go where the QB situation is in dire straits and you may just make it.

 

[sago1]

His logic probably made good sense to both he and his agent at the time. But your right they could rush him in too soon if Grossman & Orton stink it up --that's bound to happen.

 

[lkelly]

I don't see why it's such a wise choice.

One of two things can happen in Chicago:

1) He can make the roster as the backup, just as he had a chance to do here.

or

2) He can be rushed into starting, which would probably not be a good thing.

In Dallas, if he made the roster as a backup, he would be groomed for a few years then either traded or someone could sign him as a prepared free agent.

If Chicago rushes him because of its lack of quarterbacks, it could end up messing up his career (and we've all seen how patient the Bears are at developing quarterbacks).

So the question is, would you rather go be a backup on a Super Bowl-caliber team and spend time learning to be an NFL quarterback, or would you rather go be a backup on a so-so team and possibly be forced to step in at quarterback before you're really ready?

These guys have such a strong belief in their abilities that they sometimes fail to see the big picture. There is a bigger opportunity in Chicago, but it isn't necessarily better.

I'm sure he would be devastated if they rushed him into spot on the roster. Nothing could derail his career quicker than that.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm sure he would be devastated if they rushed him into spot on the roster. Nothing could derail his career quicker than that.

Rushed into starting, not rushed into a roster spot.

Tell me when Chicago has shown any patience with young QBs to let them develop instead of putting them on the field. Tell me how much good it would have done Tony Romo's career if Dallas had rushed him onto the field.

Now, if Chicago takes its time to develop him, then he's in a good situation. But, again, he could have developed in Dallas behind better QBs to learn from.

 

[gimmesix]

Looks like he is making the same decision Tony made years ago.

Go where the QB situation is in dire straits and you may just make it.

But he also needs to have a patient coach in that situation. Romo didn't make it just because the QB situation was in dire straits. He made it because he was given time to work on the things that were lacking in his game before he was asked to produce on the field.

 

[gimmesix]

we have 2 qb's and our practice squad qb also we're supposedly high on.

Bartel is the only QB we have other than Romo and Johnson (unless you're including the workout guy).

 

[lkelly]

Rushed into starting, not rushed into a roster spot.

Tell me when Chicago has shown any patience with young QBs to let them develop instead of putting them on the field. Tell me how much good it would have done Tony Romo's career if Dallas had rushed him onto the field.

Now, if Chicago takes its time to develop him, then he's in a good situation. But, again, he could have developed in Dallas behind better QBs to learn from.

Ha ha....

That's even more of a career killer for an undrafted free agent hoping to make an impression. Getting rushed into a starting role. I'm sure his family is praying hard that that doesn't happen. What's next on the path to ruin? Being chosen as a captain? Being designated a franchise player?

Face it, this kid has a less than 10% shot at ever making an active roster. The odds are real good that he'll be polishing his resume for a 9 to 5 position if he's not interested in an Arena League career.