QB Caleb Williams, CHI (1 Viewer)

[-OZ-]

Beware college players who sit out their bowl games in college to preserve their draft stock. Bears recruited their own problems here.

Wasn't this trend started by Christian McCaffrey? Like he didn't even do it after it had already become normalized, he was the one that started it? Seems like he worked out pretty okay.

Yep. I remember questioning CMC’s mindset and love for the game with that decision. Not his talent, but I avoided him in dynasty.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Beware college players who sit out their bowl games in college to preserve their draft stock. Bears recruited their own problems here.

Wasn't this trend started by Christian McCaffrey? Like he didn't even do it after it had already become normalized, he was the one that started it? Seems like he worked out pretty okay.

Yep. I remember questioning CMC’s mindset and love for the game with that decision. Not his talent, but I avoided him in dynasty.

Yep and just with a quick peek, Bijan Robinson, Jamar Chase, Marvin Harrison Jr, Garrett Wilson.

Only 4 out of the top 10 dynasty players headed into this season played in their last college bowl game, and 3 of those 4 were in the CFB playoff so obviously not going to opt out of that one.

 

[massraider]

Beware college players who sit out their bowl games in college to preserve their draft stock. Bears recruited their own problems here.

Wasn't this trend started by Christian McCaffrey? Like he didn't even do it after it had already become normalized, he was the one that started it? Seems like he worked out pretty okay.

Websites make trackers to keep the list of players sitting out bowl games, that's how often it happens.

Still, there can be a terrible stain on player.

You know, the way everyone knows that Nick Bosa won't give it his all for the 49ers, because he skipped his bowl game.

Yep, sure has been a regular topic of discussion surrounding Nick Bosa, and his perceived lack of professionalism since he skipped his bowl game.

Can't even open a 49ers game thread without someone calling out this mercenary. It's like a scarlet letter or something.

 

[Acrobat7]

Bryce Young 2.0

Justin Fields 2.0?

David Carr 2.0 seems far more reasonable.
Good talent, horrible organization.

I’m not sure Mahomes would succeed in Chicago.

“Caleb Williams is well behaved Johnny manziel with a nutritionist and a weight lifting coach.“

x.com

x.com

 

[The Gator]

Beware college players who sit out their bowl games in college to preserve their draft stock. Bears recruited their own problems here.

Wasn't this trend started by Christian McCaffrey? Like he didn't even do it after it had already become normalized, he was the one that started it? Seems like he worked out pretty okay.

I think it was Willis Mcgahee's knee that started it.

 

[zeeshan2]

Williams was sacked seven times and picked off twice. In a repeat of his disjointed debut against Tennessee, the first overall pick was skittish in the pocket, uncomfortable reading the defense, and generally inaccurate. And unlike in the Week 1 game against Tennessee, Williams didn’t display the flashes of talent that might make such a woeful performance easier to stomach for Bears fans who are desperate for a franchise quarterback to call their own.


It’s still far too early to give up on the ultra-talented Williams, but it’s time we reconsider how much help he’ll get from what was expected to be a strong supporting cast in Chicago this season. The receiving corps has been banged up early, with Keenan Allen missing the game against Houston and Rome Odunze missing practice throughout the week. The offensive line hasn’t played well through two weeks (though, to be fair, Williams doesn’t make his line’s job any easier with his constant movement). And, most concerning, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron doesn’t appear capable of working around any of these issues after he failed to deal with similar problems during his time running Seattle’s offense the last few seasons. The outlook is bleak.


If not for Bryce Young and the inept Carolina offense, Williams would rank dead last in most advanced efficiency metrics. His dropbacks are averaging negative-0.38 expected points added per play with a success rate of just 32.1 percent, per TruMedia. To put those numbers in perspective, Young averaged negative-0.21 EPA per dropback with a 36.5 percent success rate in 2023. The Panthers quarterback has taken his awfulness to an unforeseen level in 2024, but even his historically terrible rookie season was more efficient than what we’ve seen out of Williams through two games.

The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 2

Matt LaFleur got a solid game out of Malik Willis. Did anyone have a bigger pro football accomplishment this week?

www.theringer.com

 

[Chaka]

Williams was sacked seven times and picked off twice. In a repeat of his disjointed debut against Tennessee, the first overall pick was skittish in the pocket, uncomfortable reading the defense, and generally inaccurate. And unlike in the Week 1 game against Tennessee, Williams didn’t display the flashes of talent that might make such a woeful performance easier to stomach for Bears fans who are desperate for a franchise quarterback to call their own.


It’s still far too early to give up on the ultra-talented Williams, but it’s time we reconsider how much help he’ll get from what was expected to be a strong supporting cast in Chicago this season. The receiving corps has been banged up early, with Keenan Allen missing the game against Houston and Rome Odunze missing practice throughout the week. The offensive line hasn’t played well through two weeks (though, to be fair, Williams doesn’t make his line’s job any easier with his constant movement). And, most concerning, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron doesn’t appear capable of working around any of these issues after he failed to deal with similar problems during his time running Seattle’s offense the last few seasons. The outlook is bleak.

This is weird to me. One of the main things I noticed last night was how frequently Caleb stepped up into the pocket to avoid Hunter & Anderson rather than just bolt for a sideline as so many rookies do.

Am I crazy?

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

 

[JohnnyU]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

Don't worry, the Colts will make him look like a HOFer.

 

[steelerfan1]

Bryce Young 2.0

Justin Fields 2.0?

David Carr 2.0 seems far more reasonable.
Good talent, horrible organization.

I’m not sure Mahomes would succeed in Chicago.

I kinda was being a wise guy, as a lot of people wanted fields gone for Williams. Not saying Williams won’t be better, but sure looking like it might not be a qb issue as much as it is an organization issue.

 

[TampaMike19]

Williams has tons of NFL intangibles…Bryce is unfortunately short and not as mobile.

Both are playing for bad franchises but Bryce is playing with by far the worst franchise in football.

Bears have assets going forward and the Panthers don’t.

But, the Bears can still suck this year because Eberflus is a doofus who hired a moron of a OC.

Eberflus is good at coaching defense. He may not be good at coaching the entire team. Those two can also be true.

I don’t think the Bears organization want to be innovative or creative. They’ve had bad hires for years and just seem like a poorly run franchise but the Chicago fanbase is so rabid and hungry for sports that they keep supporting these losers.

Overall, I don’t see any hope in sight. I still have the Colts D on my team from last week (barf) and feel tempted to stream them against this broken QB and broken offense.

 

[zamboni]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

 

[JaxJokers]

Would you drop him in redraft for someone like Darnold? Knowing that as the season progresses, he could start figuring things out and has some weapons around him?

 

[massraider]

This is weird to me. One of the main things I noticed last night was how frequently Caleb stepped up into the pocket to avoid Hunter & Anderson rather than just bolt for a sideline as so many rookies do.

Am I crazy?

No. He wasn't perfect, but he wasn't scrambling into trouble all game.

I like this line:

It’s still far too early to give up on the ultra-talented Williams

Oh hey, that's good to hear.

 

[Wigglytuff's Gruff]

I'm surprised his arm has looked so ordinary. Appreciate he's not had much time back there but I expected, and still expect, his arm to look stronger.

 

[King of the Jungle]

I'm surprised his arm has looked so ordinary. Appreciate he's not had much time back there but I expected, and still expect, his arm to look stronger.

I do agree with this. In college it seemed like no part of the field was safe, I don’t see that right now.

 

[Manster]

Would you drop him in redraft for someone like Darnold? Knowing that as the season progresses, he could start figuring things out and has some weapons around him?

I'm dropping him this week. They built that team on a bad foundation. What I mean is the O line is horrible. He's going to be running for his life all season.

 

[Pots]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

Generational Talent? Really? You think he's the cream of the crop in talent over the previous and next decade?

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

I'm surprised his arm has looked so ordinary. Appreciate he's not had much time back there but I expected, and still expect, his arm to look stronger.

I think what your seeing is him not being up to game speed yet. Half of those throws he made in college would be picks in the NFL. It appears he's just being tentative with those passes until he's confident he can make the throw.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

Generational Talent? Really? You think he's the cream of the crop in talent over the previous and next decade?

Simply on talent and potential? Yes, yes I do. Talent doesn't always lead to production, that's a given, but the way he moves coupled with his arm talent are just eye popping. He has a lot to clean up and improve upon if he wants to be a plus starter, but his physical gifts jump off the screen if you're being honest. Lots of people are ****ting on him because of how he's looked through week 2, but I see someone who wants to get better and hates losing. I think those are great traits for your QB to have. Only time will tell where his journey leads, but I'm a believer. FWIW, what I saw on the poor deep throws were more of a timing problem than they were inaccuracy. That can be fixed with practice reps. The happy feet will be fixed if he's willing and capable of extended film study, and again, in game reps. His pocket presence stinks now. His offensive line creates a lot of pressure on him which has him seeing ghosts, but giving up on blocking too quickly or not sliding inside the pocket creates unnecessary pressure that wouldn't impact QBs like Purdy, Brady, Manning, Mahomes, etc.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

Calling Caleb a generational talent is fine with me. Post Manning, I've heard it said about only three quarterbacks - Luck, Lawrence and now Williams. I've agreed with the assessment of all three, and remember hindsight is always 20/20 when looking at Luck and Lawrence. Talent doesn't always equate to production or longevity for a variety of reasons. Some internal, some external. Luck was on his way, but injuries derailed his career. Lawrence has shown flashes, but just hasn't taken the leap. HIs physical gifts are unquestioned, still, but something seems broken there. Big guy with wheels and an amazing arm. Maybe he's just a dumb jock. It's just not happening for him. Williams' has the skills to be something special, but who knows if it will happen? Williams is a unicorn, from a talent perspective. I won't go further than that for now.

Stroud is also a real deal football unicorn. If anyone wants to step up and saw this coming, especially this early, fine, but I didn't. I liked him a lot coming out of college and thought he should have been the 2nd QB taken behind AR, but he's been a top 5 QB since he's taken the field. The guy is amazing. Some guys beat the odds because they have the physical tools, but more importantly the football IQ and intangibles it takes to be a star. He's one of them. I love watching him.

I would also go as far as to call Purdy a unicorn. The comparisons to early Brady are fair. Purdy is a star and no one saw that coming.

 

[Manster]

In redraft he is essentially worthless at this point, and that's all I care about

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

Calling Caleb a generational talent is fine with me. Post Manning, I've heard it said about only three quarterbacks - Luck, Lawrence and now Williams. I've agreed with the assessment of all three, and remember hindsight is always 20/20 when looking at Luck and Lawrence. Talent doesn't always equate to production or longevity for a variety of reasons. Some internal, some external. Luck was on his way, but injuries derailed his career. Lawrence has shown flashes, but just hasn't taken the leap. HIs physical gifts are unquestioned, still, but something seems broken there. Big guy with wheels and an amazing arm. Maybe he's just a dumb jock. It's just not happening for him. Williams' has the skills to be something special, but who knows if it will happen? Williams is a unicorn, from a talent perspective. I won't go further than that for now.

Stroud is also a real deal football unicorn. If anyone wants to step up and saw this coming, especially this early, fine, but I didn't. I liked him a lot coming out of college and thought he should have been the 2nd QB taken behind AR, but he's been a top 5 QB since he's taken the field. The guy is amazing. Some guys beat the odds because they have the physical tools, but more importantly the football IQ and intangibles it takes to be a star. He's one of them. I love watching him.

I would also go as far as to call Purdy a unicorn. The comparisons to early Brady are fair. Purdy is a star and no one saw that coming.

CJ was among the few I got right. He had more of everything than Young did. And that OSU/UGA game just put him over the top for me as a QB that would succeed immediately in the NFL. He was that good in that game. Bryce Young had no chance IMO. He didn't have gamer qualities or elite athleticism. He was smart so they say. So is the guy in the engineering lab. CAR outsmarted themselves thinking a 5'10" QB was better than a 6'3" QB with a better arm and pocket presence. And HOU will benefit for years.

Which brings us to Caleb. There was no way he wasn't going #1. But I projected Maye will be better long term. Maybe Daniels too. Time will tell on those. But Caleb has unquestioned athleticism and play making abilities. He was the right pick for CHI. I think he will be fine after more and more reps.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

Calling Caleb a generational talent is fine with me. Post Manning, I've heard it said about only three quarterbacks - Luck, Lawrence and now Williams. I've agreed with the assessment of all three, and remember hindsight is always 20/20 when looking at Luck and Lawrence. Talent doesn't always equate to production or longevity for a variety of reasons. Some internal, some external. Luck was on his way, but injuries derailed his career. Lawrence has shown flashes, but just hasn't taken the leap. HIs physical gifts are unquestioned, still, but something seems broken there. Big guy with wheels and an amazing arm. Maybe he's just a dumb jock. It's just not happening for him. Williams' has the skills to be something special, but who knows if it will happen? Williams is a unicorn, from a talent perspective. I won't go further than that for now.

Stroud is also a real deal football unicorn. If anyone wants to step up and saw this coming, especially this early, fine, but I didn't. I liked him a lot coming out of college and thought he should have been the 2nd QB taken behind AR, but he's been a top 5 QB since he's taken the field. The guy is amazing. Some guys beat the odds because they have the physical tools, but more importantly the football IQ and intangibles it takes to be a star. He's one of them. I love watching him.

I would also go as far as to call Purdy a unicorn. The comparisons to early Brady are fair. Purdy is a star and no one saw that coming.

CJ was among the few I got right. He had more of everything than Young did. And that OSU/UGA game just put him over the top for me as a QB that would succeed immediately in the NFL. He was that good in that game. Bryce Young had no chance IMO. He didn't have gamer qualities or elite athleticism. He was smart so they say. So is the guy in the engineering lab. CAR outsmarted themselves thinking a 5'10" QB was better than a 6'3" QB with a better arm and pocket presence. And HOU will benefit for years.

Which brings us to Caleb. There was no way he wasn't going #1. But I projected Maye will be better long term. Maybe Daniels too. Time will tell on those. But Caleb has unquestioned athleticism and play making abilities. He was the right pick for CHI. I think he will be fine after more and more reps.

Bryce Young happens because a hedge fund guy wants to play NFL GM. Still, I'm not pretending I'm the only one who saw Young's inadequacies. Beyond his size, he had a laundry list of other issues in college which would cause a realistic person to believe he would not have success in the NFL. I heard plenty of rumblings before the draft occurred.

Still, I had AR ahead of Stroud and that was a mistake as well. What Stroud did his rookie season was amazing. His pocket presence and arm talent are off the charts. He's big, he's smart, he can do it all. He turned around a franchise and threw for 4100 yards missing one game and the better part of another due to a concussion. He did it with his top guys being Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Shultz, Robert Woods and Noah Brown. They had no real rushing game to protect him. Stroud helped turn Nico Collins into an alpha, a superstar. The guy was literally and rightfully in the MVP conversation and if he stayed healthy and they'd have performed just a bit better down the stretch against the bad teams, he might have actually won it. I remember the narrative during the draft process that he was not very smart, that seems so ridiculous now. There isn't enough credit in the world to give him his due.

Back to Williams, like you said, the Bears made the right pick. Williams' ceiling is near the moon. Now it's time to prove it, but the week 2 panic by some is going several steps to0 far. I get it, he's in the spotlight. He's been at the top for years. He's been compared to Mahomes more times than I can count. He's confident bordering on arrogant. Stroud set a new bar for star rookie QBs that might never again be reached. I'll wait to see how this plays out. It's a long season. Williams is only 22. He has talent around him. The question is whether or not the game will start to slow down for him. Right now, everything's just moving way too fast it seems.

 

[FairWarning]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

Calling Caleb a generational talent is fine with me. Post Manning, I've heard it said about only three quarterbacks - Luck, Lawrence and now Williams. I've agreed with the assessment of all three, and remember hindsight is always 20/20 when looking at Luck and Lawrence. Talent doesn't always equate to production or longevity for a variety of reasons. Some internal, some external. Luck was on his way, but injuries derailed his career. Lawrence has shown flashes, but just hasn't taken the leap. HIs physical gifts are unquestioned, still, but something seems broken there. Big guy with wheels and an amazing arm. Maybe he's just a dumb jock. It's just not happening for him. Williams' has the skills to be something special, but who knows if it will happen? Williams is a unicorn, from a talent perspective. I won't go further than that for now.

Stroud is also a real deal football unicorn. If anyone wants to step up and saw this coming, especially this early, fine, but I didn't. I liked him a lot coming out of college and thought he should have been the 2nd QB taken behind AR, but he's been a top 5 QB since he's taken the field. The guy is amazing. Some guys beat the odds because they have the physical tools, but more importantly the football IQ and intangibles it takes to be a star. He's one of them. I love watching him.

I would also go as far as to call Purdy a unicorn. The comparisons to early Brady are fair. Purdy is a star and no one saw that coming.

CJ was among the few I got right. He had more of everything than Young did. And that OSU/UGA game just put him over the top for me as a QB that would succeed immediately in the NFL. He was that good in that game. Bryce Young had no chance IMO. He didn't have gamer qualities or elite athleticism. He was smart so they say. So is the guy in the engineering lab. CAR outsmarted themselves thinking a 5'10" QB was better than a 6'3" QB with a better arm and pocket presence. And HOU will benefit for years.

Which brings us to Caleb. There was no way he wasn't going #1. But I projected Maye will be better long term. Maybe Daniels too. Time will tell on those. But Caleb has unquestioned athleticism and play making abilities. He was the right pick for CHI. I think he will be fine after more and more reps.

Bryce Young happens because a hedge fund guy wants to play NFL GM. Still, I'm not pretending I'm the only one who saw Young's inadequacies. Beyond his size, he had a laundry list of other issues in college which would cause a realistic person to believe he would not have success in the NFL. I heard plenty of rumblings before the draft occurred.

Still, I had AR ahead of Stroud and that was a mistake as well. What Stroud did his rookie season was amazing. His pocket presence and arm talent are off the charts. He's big, he's smart, he can do it all. He turned around a franchise and threw for 4100 yards missing one game and the better part of another due to a concussion. He did it with his top guys being Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Shultz, Robert Woods and Noah Brown. They had no real rushing game to protect him. Stroud helped turn Nico Collins into an alpha, a superstar. The guy was literally and rightfully in the MVP conversation and if he stayed healthy and they'd have performed just a bit better down the stretch against the bad teams, he might have actually won it. I remember the narrative during the draft process that he was not very smart, that seems so ridiculous now. There isn't enough credit in the world to give him his due.

Back to Williams, like you said, the Bears made the right pick. Williams' ceiling is near the moon. Now it's time to prove it, but the week 2 panic by some is going several steps to0 far. I get it, he's in the spotlight. He's been at the top for years. He's been compared to Mahomes more times than I can count. He's confident bordering on arrogant. Stroud set a new bar for star rookie QBs that might never again be reached. I'll wait to see how this plays out. It's a long season. Williams is only 22. He has talent around him. The question is whether or not the game will start to slow down for him. Right now, everything's just moving way too fast it seems.

It would really help if he wasn't running for his life on every pass attempt. The OL has been a major letdown.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Two things can be true. The guy is a generational talent, but he has a long ways to go to be a plus starter in the NFL. You see flashes of brilliance with him in his limited action, but you also see happy feet and maddening inaccuracy on passes over 20 yards. I'm not sure anyone can predict where he ends up, but I'd be happy to have him on my team. The pouting comes from being a winner his whole life and having to swallow the fact his team is struggling on offense, mostly because of him. Their offensive line sucks, yes, but good quarterbacks can help mask that sort in inadequacy with proper pre/post snap reads and adequate pocket awareness. Anyway, I'd much rather see a QB being upset over losing and mental mistakes than one with a glazed over dumb look on his face ala Bryce Young.

I think that's fair, although the "generational talent" gets thrown around too easily sometimes. Many folks said the same thing about Trevor Lawrence and he's not that.

Overall, I think the expectations for rookie QBs have been raised too high with the incredible performance of Stroud last year. He is probably more of a unicorn though, as most rookie QBs have their struggles.

Have to give Caleb some time here - we tend to get too trigger happy in our assessments after just a few games. May not happen this year though.

Calling Caleb a generational talent is fine with me. Post Manning, I've heard it said about only three quarterbacks - Luck, Lawrence and now Williams. I've agreed with the assessment of all three, and remember hindsight is always 20/20 when looking at Luck and Lawrence. Talent doesn't always equate to production or longevity for a variety of reasons. Some internal, some external. Luck was on his way, but injuries derailed his career. Lawrence has shown flashes, but just hasn't taken the leap. HIs physical gifts are unquestioned, still, but something seems broken there. Big guy with wheels and an amazing arm. Maybe he's just a dumb jock. It's just not happening for him. Williams' has the skills to be something special, but who knows if it will happen? Williams is a unicorn, from a talent perspective. I won't go further than that for now.

Stroud is also a real deal football unicorn. If anyone wants to step up and saw this coming, especially this early, fine, but I didn't. I liked him a lot coming out of college and thought he should have been the 2nd QB taken behind AR, but he's been a top 5 QB since he's taken the field. The guy is amazing. Some guys beat the odds because they have the physical tools, but more importantly the football IQ and intangibles it takes to be a star. He's one of them. I love watching him.

I would also go as far as to call Purdy a unicorn. The comparisons to early Brady are fair. Purdy is a star and no one saw that coming.

CJ was among the few I got right. He had more of everything than Young did. And that OSU/UGA game just put him over the top for me as a QB that would succeed immediately in the NFL. He was that good in that game. Bryce Young had no chance IMO. He didn't have gamer qualities or elite athleticism. He was smart so they say. So is the guy in the engineering lab. CAR outsmarted themselves thinking a 5'10" QB was better than a 6'3" QB with a better arm and pocket presence. And HOU will benefit for years.

Which brings us to Caleb. There was no way he wasn't going #1. But I projected Maye will be better long term. Maybe Daniels too. Time will tell on those. But Caleb has unquestioned athleticism and play making abilities. He was the right pick for CHI. I think he will be fine after more and more reps.

Bryce Young happens because a hedge fund guy wants to play NFL GM. Still, I'm not pretending I'm the only one who saw Young's inadequacies. Beyond his size, he had a laundry list of other issues in college which would cause a realistic person to believe he would not have success in the NFL. I heard plenty of rumblings before the draft occurred.

Still, I had AR ahead of Stroud and that was a mistake as well. What Stroud did his rookie season was amazing. His pocket presence and arm talent are off the charts. He's big, he's smart, he can do it all. He turned around a franchise and threw for 4100 yards missing one game and the better part of another due to a concussion. He did it with his top guys being Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Shultz, Robert Woods and Noah Brown. They had no real rushing game to protect him. Stroud helped turn Nico Collins into an alpha, a superstar. The guy was literally and rightfully in the MVP conversation and if he stayed healthy and they'd have performed just a bit better down the stretch against the bad teams, he might have actually won it. I remember the narrative during the draft process that he was not very smart, that seems so ridiculous now. There isn't enough credit in the world to give him his due.

Back to Williams, like you said, the Bears made the right pick. Williams' ceiling is near the moon. Now it's time to prove it, but the week 2 panic by some is going several steps to0 far. I get it, he's in the spotlight. He's been at the top for years. He's been compared to Mahomes more times than I can count. He's confident bordering on arrogant. Stroud set a new bar for star rookie QBs that might never again be reached. I'll wait to see how this plays out. It's a long season. Williams is only 22. He has talent around him. The question is whether or not the game will start to slow down for him. Right now, everything's just moving way too fast it seems.

It would really help if he wasn't running for his life on every pass attempt. The OL has been a major letdown.

Yeah, I addressed this, but at the same time I don't 100% put this on the offensive line. Poles built a great set of skill position players, but priority #1 right now needs to be offensive line and maybe getting another interior defensive lineman and a RB.

Still, Caleb needs better pocket presence and pre/post snap recognition. The big hit he took on that blown WR screen was a perfect example. He needs to dirt that ball and live to fight another day. There are other times I see him roll completely out of a relatively clean pocket instead of sliding to open space and making the throw. At least half of (probably more) the pressure he deals with is caused by him in one way or another.

 

[Faust]

How Shane Waldron plans to help Caleb Williams thrive behind Bears' shaky OL

 

[Faust]

Chase Daniel
The Caleb Williams film really isn't as bad as you think. The growth at the line of scrimmage is easy to see...he's controlling it.

Help the O-Line out & get Keenan back...he will be just fine. #DaBears

All 22 QB Breakdown: Caleb Williams

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[Faust]

Ian Rapoport
.@StaceyDales reports that #Bears QB Caleb Williams will wear a wristband today for the first time, with hopes of having a faster and cleaner operation. Smart adjustment.

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[The Frankman]

Fantasy Football Storylines to Watch in Week 3: Derek Carr, Saints look here to stay

Fantasy football analyst Chris Allen takes a deep dive into some intriguing storylines to help us win Week 3.

sports.yahoo.com

Bad News Bears

I can’t fault a team for following a (generally) +EV process. Chicago added pieces to its offensive line, traded for Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze. Along with bringing in OC Shane Waldron, the Bears did all they could to build around franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.

Then, reality hit.


Through two weeks, the 2024 1.01 is yet to throw one TD. Williams’ -0.28 EPA ranks just ahead of (the recently benched) Bryce Young. However, it’s not all on the former Trojan. Let’s start with the scheme.

I highlighted how much progressive playcalling can help a passer in the Saints section above. Play-action and pre-snap motion are just two of many dials an OC can turn to simplify the chaos. If you can believe that sitting at or near the top of the league in usage rates for those concepts is a boon for a QB, then Chicago needs to make some adjustments to its passing game.

• Play-Action Rate: 19th
• Pre-Snap Motion Rate: 28th
• Designed Roll-Out Rate: 23rd

Honestly, we should’ve seen this coming. Jaxon Smith-Njigba tried to tell us. Shane Waldron ran a similarly static offense last year in Seattle. But, no matter. Williams demonstrated his quick processing skills at USC. On attempts thrown in under 2.5 seconds, Chicago’s new triggerman was 12th in adjusted completion percentage. However, his coordinator isn’t the only problem.

• Coleman Shelton (Center): 55.6 (PFF Pass Blocking Grade), 22nd (Rank Amongst All Starters)
• Tevin Jenkins (Left Guard): 48.7, 54th
• Ryan Bates (Right Guard): 65.7, 35th

Go back and watch the hilarious sack in the post above and note how quickly Shelton gets beat (sorry, Bears fans). The pressure forces Williams into hero mode. But he’s not playing against Arizona State this time. The Bears’ QB is one of three passers with top-12 rates in blitz and pressure rate. Teams know they can get to him. Per Pro Football Reference, his average time from the snap to the pocket collapsing is 0.9 seconds.

I don’t think I can even blink that fast.


Luckily, Chicago may be through the worst of their early-season schedule. They face the Colts (with injuries to their defense), Rams, Panthers and Jaguars before heading into their Week 7 bye.

For fantasy managers who just lost Isiah Pacheco, a trade for D’Andre Swift’s 57.1% rushing share (and three looks per game) may have some appeal. And outside of those with DJ Moore, buying low on Keenan Allen or Rome Odunze may pay off with the Commanders and Cardinals on tap coming out of the bye.

Chicago does need to make some changes to its offensive approach, but at least the matchups give Williams more runway to learn the position at the NFL level.

There are better days coming for Caleb Williams. The WRs getting healthier and the OC maybe scheming him some layups/motion could definitely help.

 

[ilianawindfae]

So Caleb is a bust. That's fine. As a Bears fan, this doesn't upset me.

I'm just glad I know early on that it's going to be another year of the same ****. Let me know when this guy throws a passing TD.

 

[Ray Barboni]

Shane Waldron is a big problem. Both him and Eberflus should never be handling a rookie QB’s future. Poles should know better.

 

[The Frankman]

Caleb Williams completed 33-of-52 passes for 363 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Bears’ 21-16, Week 3 loss to the Colts.

Williams also lost a fumble and took four sacks for 31 yards. The Colts entered Week 3 having allowed the most rushing yards (474) through the first two games of the season since 1978, but since the Bears’ “rushing attack” has essentially been DOA this year, Williams was forced to drop back far more than he’s ready for. He at least wasn’t a total disaster this time, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt and finding each of Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet for at least 78 yards. He started out the game horribly inaccurate before finally seeming to get comfortable after finding a rhythm with Odunze. He is still missing too many layups, while the turnovers were obviously killers, but it was Williams’ first tangible sign of progress. The Colts were a good matchup, but the Rams are an even better one for Week 4.
- Rotoworld

No max protects, seemingly little motion. Waldron gotta help out his young QB because JSN is looking more right every day...

 

[Faust]

Jacob Infante
After watching this game, I'm pretty confident Caleb Williams is gonna be a great NFL QB. He's overcome his bad throws early to look strong down the stretch.

But it's not gonna happen this year. And it's not gonna happen with this coaching staff. #Bears

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[Smack Tripper]

I don't think he does much that jumps out at you

Not an impact arm, not an impact runner.

Slippery in the pocket, thats good, it was a nice hail mary to end the half.

But if the game is off platform throws, he doesnt have the zip to get it in windows, defenders close to fast on those plays.

He looks slow by comparison to NFL runners.

3 game sample size, I think they would have been better off either with Daniels of with Fields, Joe Alt and some extra draft picks trading down. Eveyrone was trying to get in the top 3 this year.

 

[Faust]

Bears QB Caleb Williams Week 3 Review: The good and the bad

 

[SoBeDad]

It's too early to know if he has the intangibles needed to be a great NFL QB. I think his arm talent is near elite.

I wouldn't count the first 2 games when he was running for his life over half the time. The next 4 games, LAR. CAR, JAX, WAS will be telling.

 

[Chaka]

It's too early to know if he has the intangibles needed to be a great NFL QB. I think his arm talent is near elite.

I wouldn't count the first 2 games when he was running for his life over half the time. The next 4 games, LAR. CAR, JAX, WAS will be telling.

NO! This is America in 2024!

The final analysis happened after his first snap in a regular season game. Period! Full stop!

His entire career is completely, entirely and 100% defined by: D'Andre Swift left tackle for 6 yards (tackle by Jack Gibbens)

No room for debate.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

It's too early to know if he has the intangibles needed to be a great NFL QB. I think his arm talent is near elite.

I wouldn't count the first 2 games when he was running for his life over half the time. The next 4 games, LAR. CAR, JAX, WAS will be telling.

NO! This is America in 2024!

The final analysis happened after his first snap in a regular season game. Period! Full stop!

His entire career is completely, entirely and 100% defined by: D'Andre Swift left tackle for 6 yards (tackle by Jack Gibbens)

No room for debate.

Laugh emoji

 

[jurrassic]

I think he's going to be solid. I don't think he's going to be special. Now, that can still be a good qb. Someone like Herbert. You can win with him, but he' s not an "elevate the guys around him" talent. The Mahomes comparison seem even more silly to me now. I don't see the elite arm talent everyone talks about. His accuracy is still pretty poor, just like it's been in college. He isn't great at reading defenses, or going through his progressions quickly. I'm not sure how well he "sees the game."

I understand the arguments about the o-line and coordinator, but wasn't this the best situation ever for a rookie qb just a few months ago?

 

[The Frankman]

Caleb Williams completed 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 36-10, Week 5 win over the Panthers, adding five carries for 34 yards.

Williams started to shake off the rocky start two weeks ago in a high-scoring loss to the Colts. He continued to improve last week by completing 74 percent of his passes while getting the job done against the Rams. He put it all together this week with his best all-around showing yet. He averaged over 10 yards per attempt for the first time in his career. This was also his first game without multiple sacks. Williams was taken down by the Panthers’ defense just once. The rookie still missed a few throws, but the game is undoubtedly slowing down for him. He will look to keep the momentum going as a high-end QB2 for his Week 6 matchup with the Jags.
- Rotoworld

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Heating up

 

[mrfrood]

Had a 1 yard rushing td called back. Hopefully he can keep up the momentum. The offensive line did a better job blocking, or was it Carolina's defense sucking?

 

[Faust]

Week 5 NFL Takeaways: Caleb Williams Playing Like No. 1 Draft Pick

 

[Faust]

'Bossy' Caleb Williams producing results for surging Bears: 'That's him being a leader'

 

[The Frankman]

Caleb Williams completed 23-of-29 passes for 226 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the Bears’ 35-16, Week 6 win over the Jaguars, adding four carries for 56 yards.

Williams looked jetlagged from the flight to London in the first 20 minutes of this game. The Bears opened the contest with a pair of three-and-outs. Williams tossed his first touchdown in their third drive but was intercepted on the fourth. As has been the case in previous weeks, Williams settled in following a bumpy start and looked the part of the No. 1 overall pick and then some. The Bears scored on their final possession of the first half and rattled off three touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half. Williams nearly had his fifth touchdown of the day on a throw to DJ Moore, but Moore’s arm hit the ground inches before the ball crossed the plane. D’Andre Swift punched in a short score on the next play. The lows are becoming less pronounced and less frequent for Williams while the highs are trending up for Williams. He will flirt with a QB1 ranking when the Bears come back from their Week 7 bye to face the Commanders
- Rotoworld

Once his process slowed down and the OC finally started giving him some layups to get into rhythm, he's looked like a different rookie QB. Add to the fact Waldron has FINALLY decided to play 11 personnel as their base set (locking in Moore/Allen/Odunze w/ Kmet at TE in on most of the plays) should help Williams connect with his playmakers.

 

[Chaka]

All I know is; kid's looking like a player.

 

[Faust]

Bears QB Caleb Williams credits 'positive mindset' after four-TD performance in London win over Jags

 

[Faust]

Next Gen Stats
Caleb Williams set career-highs in success rate (58.8%), TD passes (4) and CPOE (+12.5%) in the Bears 35-16 victory over the Jaguars.

Williams excelled on quick passes, completing 13 of 14 passes for 111 yards & 3 TD (9 first downs).

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Caleb Williams has eclipsed a 50% success rate in three consecutive games after failing to do so in his first three career games.

Williams Success Rate

Weeks 1-3: 37.2% (4th-lowest in NFL)
Weeks 4-6: 54.7% (5th-highest)

#JAXvsCHI | @ChicagoBears

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[-OZ-]

It’s really starting to look like Caleb vs Jayden can be a debate for years while both succeed.
It’s too early to tell on the other 4.