East-West Shrine Bowl Standout QB James Morgan Meets With 26 NFL Teams Including Patriots
By Michael Luciano
All three quarterbacks at the East-West Shrine Bowl for the East team have been performing well in St. Petersburg. While he struggled today, Mississippi State's Tommy Stevens has shown off a big arm, while Princeton's Kevin Davidson made it clear to scouts in attendance he has the strongest arm here with accuracy to boot.
None of them, however, can hold a candle to FIU quarterback James Morgan, who has started to separate from the rest of the pack. At 6-3 and 223 pounds, Morgan has an electric arm that combines pure strength with touch and the ability to throw in rhythm.
Could New England come calling?
Morgan threw just 14 touchdowns this year on an FIU team who lost some key pieces, but he threw 26 last season, and he has just 12 picks in his last two seasons.
The Patriots are in need of a quarterback, as Tom Brady's future is still up in the air and banking on an underachiever like Jarrett Stidham to totally shore up your quarterback room is unwise.
Morgan, who has met with 26 NFL teams (New England being one of them), was just a throw or two short of perfect Wednesday, and his name is sure to rocket up draft boards now that arm strength questions and questions about how he handles pressure (Spoiler: he's awesome at it) have been emphatically answered.
There is a case that Morgan might be the best player, not just quarterback, on the entire East roster. His live arm, subtle pocket movement, and touch to all levels would be welcomed in New England, as he has the ability to push Stidham for the backup job at the least.