Alex Brink offers insight

We had the privilege of sitting down with Alex Brink, the prolific Washington State quarterback who threw for an incredible 10,913 yards in his career to go along with 76 touchdowns. These days, Brink can be heard calling games for Washington State on the radio, and so he is uniquely positioned to offer his thoughts on a quarterback he sees week in and week out.

Brink is also a coach at the Elite 11 quarterback competition, whose alumni include Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, and Matthew Stafford, among others. In other words, he’s got the resume to render an opinion on quarterback play, and so we picked his brain about Gordon.

On being an air raid quarterback

One of the first things we wanted to address was the idea that Gordon is merely a “system quarterback” who benefits from Mike Leach’s air raid system. I asked Alex if that was a fair criticism, and here is what he had to say:

The first reason it would be unfair to typecast a player like that is because you’re seeing the air raid really start to be heavily incorporated in the NFL, and not just in quarterbacks but in playcalling. I mean you have Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, you have Baker Mayfield coming from that system, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff. So what used to be a fair stereotype has changed so much because the NFL game has changed so much. The other piece of it too is that I think you’re in a real golden age of quarterbacking from the NFL down because the development of these quarterbacks at a young age is really starting to pay dividends, so an air raid quarterback would have enough of a background to be able to make a transition into the NFL, whereas they may not have in the past.

We also asked him about some of the traits and skills that an air raid quarterback would possess that would be transferrable to the NFL. The last part of his response was so refreshing to hear, considering the trend of having the coach in the quarterback’s headset pre-snap.

Brink said “they have to have a deep knowledge of how run and pass concepts can attack a defense and be able to make a decision at the line of scrimmage. Typically 75 percent of calls in an air raid offense are made at the line of scrimmage. So quarterbacks in an air raid system like Gordon, have a deep understanding of the situation in the game (down, distance, and point in the game) because they are not getting spoonfed from the sidelines by the coach.”

Alex also highlighted a key subtlety of the air raid system in that quarterbacks don’t typically talk a lot about coverages. For example in Leach’s version of the system, Brink commented “it’s all about space and time. While there’s an understanding of defense and structure it’s much less than the traditional ‘hey with two high safeties I’m going to work this side of the field, and with one high safety I’m going to work this side.'”

Although reading defenses may not be a staple of the air raid system, he noted that where Gordon might have an advantage is in his ability to recognize mismatches, because he is not hamstrung by thinking he has to throw to a particular area because of a certain coverage.

On his development this year

Having the opportunity to watch and call WSU’s games this season, Brink has had the opportunity to observe Gordon’s development. We asked him about some of the areas where he has grown the most since the start of the season.

I would say his decision-making has gotten significantly better. You know, heading into this year that was one of the question marks. Everyone knew he had a great arm but sometimes he would try to use that arm to fit the ball into too tight a window. What I’ve seen is that he still has that edge to take those chances when the time is right, but he’s not doing it so much that he’s creating negative plays.

In other words, Gordon has not sacrificed his aggressiveness, but rather has gotten more judicious in deciding when to take his chances. That’s exactly the kind of growth you want to see in a young quarterback.

Brink also commented on his “unbelievable arm talent and great release” observing that the “ball pops out of his hand and he throws the football as well as anybody in the country.” Gordon earned high praise from Brink who believes he has “better arm strength and better overall mechanics than Gardner (Minshew) and Luke (Falk),” and can easily make every ‘NFL throw.’

On his mechanics

Aside from the criticism that he’s “an air raid quarterback” some have commented on his movement in the pocket and how he has a tendency to come to a complete stop. I asked Alex about that and here’s what he had to say:

It’s kind of an old school way of thinking that you have to keep your feet moving. To me, that’s a little overblown. I mean watch Tom Brady in the pocket. Sometimes he’ll just stand there for a half of beat before he moves. And that’s about being comfortable and trusting the guys in front of him and letting it play out. There’s still a rhythm to that and even though he’s stationary he’s working through his reads. And off of that he can drop his arm and make different throws from different arm angles which is so advantageous in the NFL because the rush comes in so many different ways.

It was a great perspective offered by Brink, who noted it’s more a sign of him being comfortable in the pocket than having “happy feet.” He did, however, mention that one area where he can improve is stepping up through the pocket when things break down. Although he has a tendency to want to bail out the back when things break down, Alex thinks this can be easily fixed.

Additionally, his ability to throw from so many different angles may remind fans of Patrick Mahomes. That level of creativity is something that the Bears have lacked at the position for eons. The idea of having a calm decision-maker in the pocket who can process the field and deliver off-platform throws from all angles should have fans very intrigued.

On his demeanor

One thing Bears fans have come to love about Trubisky is his leadership skills. He’s respected by his coaches and teammates and represents the franchise incredibly well. So I asked Alex about Gordon’s demeanor and leadership skills.

He’s a very confident kid who is comfortable in his own skin. He’s been through a lot, going through junior college to get Washington State where he was a backup for two years. He’s been through it all and that experience has really helped him. And the guys look up to him as a leader. He’s confident, able to rally the guys around him, and plays with a little bit of an edge.

Off the field Brink noted he’s able to manage the locker room, coaching staff and media very well. According to Brink, “he’s humble and well-spoken, and those things play well when you talk about being a quarterback at the next level. You have to have that entire package” and Alex thinks he has it.

On his strengths

We talked a lot with Alex about Gordon’s arm talent which he believes is one of his strengths. However, we wanted to know, from someone who has seen a lot of Gordon, what other strengths might serve him well at the next level.

According to Alex, “the big things that jump out to me are his release and arm strength which are plus-plus. His athleticism isn’t necessarily a strength but he can move around enough. And I think his demeanor, confidence level and ability to command a room and command a huddle will pay dividends for him at the next level.”

On his weaknesses

To get an honest overall assessment, we also wanted to know some of the things Gordon must work on as he gets ready for the NFL. The big thing, according to Alex, is continuing to develop his footwork. He noted that one of the toughest parts about the transition for an air raid quarterback is understanding the footwork and managing the pocket.

On his fit with the Bears

Obviously the $64,000 question is how Gordon might fit with the Chicago Bears. At the end of the day, that will be a huge component of any quarterback evaluation Ryan Pace and company complete. So we wanted to get Alex’s thoughts on whether Gordon could fit in with Matt Nagy’s offense. As someone who was a part of Kyle Shanahan‘s system, he is well-positioned to answer that question. Here’s what he had to say:

I think he can absolutely do it. In my experience with that version of the West Coast offense — I mean I was in Kyle Shanahan’s offense in Houston — and the way that transition happens for a quarterback, I don’t want to say it’s easy, but those systems are very quarterback friendly when you have a guy who buys into it and I think he would.

Final thoughts

Gordon has been a prospect I have been talking about for a while. Every time you turn on the tape you see a skill set that translates to the NFL game. He has so many qualities that would suit him well at the next level, and his demeanor seems like a fit in Chicago.

The one problem is he is starting to generate a lot of buzz, and if he continues to perform the way he has been, teams will take notice and he may climb up the rankings. Keep in mind that the Bears have two second-round picks and likely a fourth-round compensatory pick, so it will be interesting to see where Gordon is eventually projected to go.

Regardless, the Bears would be wise to do what they can, within reason, to select Gordon who in so many ways, is the antithesis of Trubisky. I have asserted my position long ago that he is the quarterback the Bears must find a way to draft this year, and everything I have seen, read or heard since that moment has done nothing but solidify that opinion.

We want to thank Alex Brink for sharing his insight and time. You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexBrink10.