Mitchell likely to get a shot at an NFL camp

Dave Naylor

TSN Football Insider

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Of the many great Canadian Football League quarterbacks of the past half century, very few have been invited to show what they can do in the National Football League. Even fewer have been able to make a career south of the border.

Warren Moon set the bar when he translated six superb CFL seasons into an NFL bidding war and, ultimately, a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Others, like Jeff Garcia and Doug Flutie, were good enough to hold starting jobs in the NFL for many seasons – each of them reaching the Pro Bowl following their days in the CFL.

Some, like Henry Burris, Casey Printers, Dave Dickenson and Ricky Ray, managed to stick in the NFL briefly but weren’t awarded much opportunity to grow and learn before returning to Canada.

Many, including Anthony Calvillo, performed workouts for NFL teams but never got the chance to participate in a training camp.

That brings us to Bo Levi Mitchell, the latest quarterback attempting to turn a stellar start to his pro career in Canada into an opportunity in the NFL.

Mitchell will have worked out for eight NFL teams, or a quarter of the league, by the end of December, which indicates more than just a passing interest in his skills. At 28, he’s no longer considered young, but the odometer on quarterbacks matters less than it does at other positions.

So what kind of opportunity could await Mitchell when he becomes eligible to sign an NFL contract on Jan. 3?

Based on conversations with current and former NFL scouts, there seems little doubt that he’ll be offered a chance to compete at a training camp next summer.

“I would think there is enough curiosity and if he competes well enough in workouts and it seems like he’s willing to make the jump,” said an NFL executive. “I think there’s a lot of sincere interest and I would be surprised if he did not get signed.”

“You’re getting a cost control player for three-to-four years who is very accomplished and has 100 starts.”

The comments of NFL scouts and executives reflect more a level of intrigue about Mitchell than pure excitement. But that may be enough to open the door for him to have his choice of several potential opportunities.

“He’s been very productive,” commented one NFL GM. “Undersized type of player, good athlete, has won up there. Maybe as a backup type.”

“It’s not an easy transition,” said another GM. “But you never know. He’s smart, competitive and productive. Worth maybe taking a flyer on him.”

On the high end, Mitchell could get an opportunity to compete for a backup job on a team where the starter might be on a short leash, but there aren’t many of those. On the low end, it would be a third or fourth-string job. No one thinks he’s auditioning to be an NFL starting quarterback next season.

“I think he would realistically compete for a No. 2 job on a lesser team,” said the NFL executive. “And if everything falls into place during the year – whether it is injuries or team needs – he could wind up playing, just like Jeff Garcia in his first year.”

“I think you’d feel really good with him in the quarterbacks room and competing at the position but you wouldn’t, in February, say, ‘He’s our guy.’”

“He’s going to have to clean up some things mechanically just because of a different style of play, but those things will take place. And with the NFL nutrition programs, the way they feed the players here, he will put on 10 pounds and not lose any athleticism.”

But just how competitive the market may become over the next two weeks and what kind of investment teams will be willing to make in him remains a mystery.

“I think he will get signed,” said an NFL scout, “just with the landscape of quarterbacks coming out of college and some of the threes and fours in the league.”

“The big thing will be how much money a team is willing to give him. That will say it all. If there is no signing bonus the odds will be stacked against him.”

Mitchell’s signing bonus and salary will likely be mitigated by the fact it must come out of the NFL rookie pool, because he has never signed an NFL contract. That makes it unlikely one team would be willing to wildly outbid others for his services.

Mitchell is apparently taking a long-term view of his opportunity in the NFL, seeking a situation where he can get a chance to prove he belongs.

“He’s confident and looking for the ability to compete and it may be more of a football decision than a financial decision,” said an NFL executive. “He’s looking for a place to go to have a chance to play.”

Unlike a lot of CFL quarterbacks, Mitchell never participated in an NFL training camp before coming to Canada. At just under 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, the knock against Mitchell was his size.

Questions about his arm strength and athleticism also existed at the time he was coming out of Eastern Washington University in 2011 as the Walter Payton Award winner (as the best player in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision).

 “His biggest challenge is his size because he’s not your prototype NFL quarterback,” said an NFL scout. “And his arm is good, not great. Those are the biggest questions.”

“I think he’s got a chance to compete to be a No. 3 and could push to be a No. 2. But you have to get someone who falls in love with what he is and what he brings.”

“[NFL teams] never thought he had a strong arm and the people I talk to don’t see him in the Jeff Garcia range in terms of arm strength,” said one former NFL executive. “I am not hearing anyone who will give him a significant signing bonus. But I can see why teams would look at his success and production and say, ‘For the sake of an airline ticket…’”

But a scout pointed out that arm strength is more critical in some offences than others, and would be less of an issue in a West Coast system built around short and intermediate passes.

“He won’t necessarily stand-out in terms of arm talent but he has smarts and anticipation and those things are more important than arm strength in some offences,” said an NFL scout. “With offences that will ask him to make manageable and timing throws he will be able to compete because he will have a lot more experience than guys who have been on the practice roster but haven’t played in a game.”

A former NFL scout concurred.

“To me it’s accuracy and can you drive the ball and he can do that,” he said. “I think he has a legit shot and is good enough to be a No. 2. He’s accurate, he has a quick release. The reason Calgary doesn’t give up any sacks is because he gets rid of the ball so damn well. His pre-snap reads are so precise. And he throws a very catchable ball … he puts it in places where his receivers can make the catch.”

Though Mitchell has passed for nearly 25,000 yards in seven CFL seasons, his most impressive trait is being a winner, which includes managing the game according to situations and not turning the ball over.

He is the fastest quarterback to reach 60 wins in CFL history, amassing an overall record of 69-15-2 as a starter and throwing 150 touchdown passes against 59 interceptions in his career.

That ability to manage a game and avoiding critical turnovers could serve him well in a backup role in the NFL.

“He has the ability to go in and manage a game and not turn the ball over, protect leads and put your offence in a good situation,” said a scout. “He’s an experienced guy who understands how to prepare and put himself in the best position. That has appeal to coaches down here because there’s not that much time to develop quarterbacks.”

Of course the one factor that’s impossible to predict is how Mitchell performs during workouts and then, if he signs, during training camp.

“Adjusting to the smaller field and things moving faster, there is such a short amount of time to make an impression with not a lot of reps to go around,” said a scout.

“It’s really important because when you’re going through this during the season, the head coach doesn’t have time to study his film because they are game-planning on a week-to-week basis. So once he gets here he gets a 20-25 minute workout it’s pretty crucial because they haven’t had the exposure to his tape. The workout gives you a chance to work hands-on with him on different throws and techniques and get a sense of him as a person.”

Those close to Mitchell believe he may be tempted to take any opportunity to try the NFL, partly because he never had that chance coming out of school.

That might also slightly deepen NFL curiosity about him.

"I think that does add a little bit of intrigue,” said a scout.