Imrem: How about Notre Dame's Kizer for Chicago Bears?
Notre Dame haters, brace yourselves for this: It would be cool if the Chicago Bears drafted Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer.
Yes, the Bears' position concerning football's most important position has been so frustrating for so long that even a Fighting Irish quarterback would be cool.
Just draft Kizer early, late or whenever and wish, pray and hope that he's more Joe Montana than Rick Mirer and more Joe Theismann than Brady Quinn.
Maybe the move would launch the Bears on a Kizer roll.
Kizer declared for the draft this week, and the Bears could arouse Irish subway alums by selecting him.
The only thing better would be if his name was DeShamus Kizer or DeShone O'Malley.
A Bears quarterback from Notre Dame would rank somewhere between exciting and exasperating depending on which side of the Irish you come down on.
Which brings us back to the weekend report that the Bears are considering Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian for a front-office role.
Polian denied the notion … or did he? All he really said was the Bears haven't reached out to him.
Regardless, Polian doesn't have to be the guy.
Any new senior adviser or football president would could tie together the Bears' pieces: determine whether general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox work well enough together, whether Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can coexist and generally whether all the pieces fit.
The new guy wouldn't do the current guys' jobs; he would evaluate whether they're doing their jobs.
Now back to DeShone Kizer.
If the Bears hire somebody like Bill Polian, or Bill Polian himself, he'll have two early assignments.
First, make sure that Pace is aware that the Bears need a franchise quarterback and he can't ever again go two drafts without taking one.
Second, make sure Fox is aware that he has to have an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who are quarterback whisperers.
That would be regardless of the quarterback — Kizer, Jimmy Garoppolo if the Bears could trade for him or anyone else — but especially Kizer for the purpose of today's conversation.
No rookie quarterback is a sure thing. Heck, Peyton Manning wasn't a sure thing when Polian picked him No. 1 overall for the Colts.
Manning had to be nurtured, inserted into a quality NFL system and given effective game plans every week.
Kizer is no Manning, nor are other quarterbacks in the upcoming draft like Mitch Trubinsky of North Carolina and Deshaun Watson of Clemson.
But Kizer is tempting with 6-feet-4, 230-pound measurables and leadership intangibles.
“It's been a privilege playing with and blocking for the best QB in (college football),” ND offensive guard Quenton Nelson wrote on Instagram. “No one is as smart, focused, calm and as clutch as DK, a true leader.”
Still, Kizer will be a project.
“It's a risk, no question,” ND Insider quoted draft analyst Dane Brugler saying of Kizer coming out early. “But (he could succeed) if he goes to the right fit with a coaching staff that uses him correctly … ”
Stop right there.
A GM who drafts an intriguing quarterback … a coaching staff that develops him … a senior adviser who makes sure the Bears are the right fit for him.
Talk about fantasy football.
mimrem@dailyherald.com