The Chicago Bears achieved their goal of bringing in a developmental quarterback by selecting Idaho's Nathan Enderle in the fifth round (No. 160 overall) on the draft's third day.
"We worked with the coaches on this, we worked him out personally, and feel good about the selection," Bears director of player personnel Tim Ruskell said. "He's a big guy. He's got a very strong arm. He's a very intelligent man and intelligent quarterback. I saw him two years when I was in Seattle and saw him play against Jake [Locker] in Washington and he really went toe to toe with him."
In 37 starts, Enderle -- 6-foot-4, 234-pounds -- threw for 8,181 yards, 62 touchdowns and 53 interceptions. He impressed Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz during a private workout on the Idaho campus, a workout that ultimately convinced the Bears to burn a draft choice on a quarterback despite other potential needs on the roster.
"It was awesome when [Martz] came out there and you can tell he has so much football knowledge," Enderle said. "He started to tweak with my drop and a few things I was doing physically just while he was out there. He's a really good coach and somebody I'd like to work with.
"I knew it was a possibility [to be drafted by Bears]. I came into it with an open mind not really knowing where I would fall and where I would go to, but I knew they were a possibility and that he liked me when they came out and saw me. So I'm excited about that."
Enderle, a former college teammate of Bears' fullback Eddie Williams, is expected to enter training camp as the club's No. 3 quarterback behind Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie.
"I am comfortable [with Hanie as the No. 2] and obviously the coaches are, so I think that's probably how they go into it," Ruskell said.
This marks the second consecutive year the Bears have drafted a quarterback in the late rounds. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo took Dan LeFevour in the sixth-round in 2010, but cut the quarterback following training camp with the intention of signing LeFevour to the practice squad. The Cincinnati Bengals, however, scooped LeFevour off waivers and added him to their 53-man active roster.
"We worked with the coaches on this, we worked him out personally, and feel good about the selection," Bears director of player personnel Tim Ruskell said. "He's a big guy. He's got a very strong arm. He's a very intelligent man and intelligent quarterback. I saw him two years when I was in Seattle and saw him play against Jake [Locker] in Washington and he really went toe to toe with him."
In 37 starts, Enderle -- 6-foot-4, 234-pounds -- threw for 8,181 yards, 62 touchdowns and 53 interceptions. He impressed Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz during a private workout on the Idaho campus, a workout that ultimately convinced the Bears to burn a draft choice on a quarterback despite other potential needs on the roster.
"It was awesome when [Martz] came out there and you can tell he has so much football knowledge," Enderle said. "He started to tweak with my drop and a few things I was doing physically just while he was out there. He's a really good coach and somebody I'd like to work with.
"I knew it was a possibility [to be drafted by Bears]. I came into it with an open mind not really knowing where I would fall and where I would go to, but I knew they were a possibility and that he liked me when they came out and saw me. So I'm excited about that."
Enderle, a former college teammate of Bears' fullback Eddie Williams, is expected to enter training camp as the club's No. 3 quarterback behind Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie.
This marks the second consecutive year the Bears have drafted a quarterback in the late rounds. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo took Dan LeFevour in the sixth-round in 2010, but cut the quarterback following training camp with the intention of signing LeFevour to the practice squad. The Cincinnati Bengals, however, scooped LeFevour off waivers and added him to their 53-man active roster.
