Caleb Williams News and Rumor thread

[southdakbearfan]

Just let go

[Bearfacts]

That's the other half to the equation here.

Let's not gang up on Plank or anybody else about JF1.

There are people that need to stop Poking The Bear (no pun intended) with this topic. Just let it go.

It's over and done with.

This is it right here. It’s a two way street, if you want to move in then stop sniping about it to begin with. And if you do, don’t get offended if someone disagrees. I get that no one wants the wars to come back, but good lord people lighten up. Are we never allowed to utter his name again? Cmon, really, just lighten up everyone there’s no malice here and the war is over.

But the story isn’t. We have no idea how this will turn out and it’s very relevant to track it.

He who must not be named!!!!

(how the hell to we get a photo to post or upload)

[dplank]

[HisRoyalSweetness]

(how the hell to we get a photo to post or upload)

Two options:

If it's an image on the web, copy and paste the URL, highlight it and click the 'Insert image button' on the message toolbar. This will add [img] tags around the URL.

If it's an image on your device, click on the 'Attachments' tab below the message box and 'Add files' (or drag and drop the image into the message box).

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Anyone else getting anxious now that we're only 10 days away from the draft??

[Grizzled]

4 teams have not had a QB pass for 30 TDs in the 21 century:

Miami (last time Marino in 1994)
Browns (last time Sipes in 1980)
Commandos (last time Jurgenson 1967)
Bears (never had one)

Here's hoping Williams breaks the streak

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Anyone else getting anxious now that we're only 10 days away from the draft??

Nope, not anxious, more impatient.

[HurricaneBear]

Anyone else getting anxious now that we're only 10 days away from the draft??

Not at all! Excited. A bit impatient. Very positive. The Bears are drafting a generational talent at QB for the first time ever and will get another blue chip prospect. The team is set up in great shape.

Nows the time to be happy. Anxiety will set in before week 1 when I wonder "will they fool me once again?"

[Sweetness34]

Anyone else getting anxious now that we're only 10 days away from the draft??

Yes! So excited!

We have 2 top 10 picks. This after only having 2 first round picks total in the last 5 years, neither of which were in the top 10 after trade downs. Granted we could trade down from #9, but still, the anticipation of 2 top 10 picks is very exciting. Can't wait!

[Yogi da Bear]

Anyone else getting anxious now that we're only 10 days away from the draft??

Not at all! Excited. A bit impatient. Very positive. The Bears are drafting a generational talent at QB for the first time ever and will get another blue chip prospect. The team is set up in great shape.

Nows the time to be happy. Anxiety will set in before week 1 when I wonder "will they fool me once again?"

Just for you Hurricane:

[Bearfacts]

I'd say I'm experiencing more curiosity than anything else. A couple weeks ago how the first 8 picks were likely to go seemed pretty certain. Now I'm not so sure. I still believe Odunze will be on the board but which group presented the best option; WR, DL, or OL?

I guess the way I see it is no matter who Poles decides to draft at #9 or a few picks later we're getting a very good football player who should be able to contribute immediately. It doesn't really matter if that guy starts out as the #3 WR, or #3 OT/OG, or a DE/DT in the rotation he'll be a key part of the team and a top producer moving forward. That's what's most important to me.

[wulfy]

For one of the first times since Jim Finks ran the Draft, I have faith in the person who is making the decisions. So I'm excited and super curious at what he's going to do at 9.

[RichH55]

Imo, Justin Fields’ lack of development as a passer made trading back for yet another “haul” unlikely. A struggling 4th year QB with a 5th year option decision looming likely made acquiring a quality oc problematic and set the stage for the kind of QB uncertainty now facing Minnesota and Las Vegas.

Having another teams’ pick - the #1 pick at that - while having a top 10 pick of their own, in a year with a strong QB class - made moving on from Justin and taking a QB #1 a virtual lock.

Justin Fields simply wasn’t good enough - and the league seemed to agree by viewing him as a backup - to change the narrative

Several other scenarios were available, this wasn’t a linear choice.

It was super close to linear

[RichH55]

Brother, you got to let this go for now. It's April.

It was you and me back-to-back to the end on this, but JF1 is gone.

I know as Bears Fans our lives have been riddled with QB bullshit almost too long to list and we still bring it up from time to time.

But this one with JF1 is raw. I don't like it that he's gone, but my mind is on figuring out how to make Caleb Williams successful.

The alternative thought process to that is an insanity driven Event Horizon into a black hole of analysis about Why Justin Fields "Failed" In Chicago.

I’ve moved on and I’m ready to embrace the next guy, as I have all others that have come before. But I’m not gonna turn a blind eye when people disparage Fields and, for me at least, moving on doesn’t mean agreeing with what Poles did. I hope he got it right, but the story on that hasn’t even begun yet so I can’t stand seeing people dunking as if they’ve won a cookie.

You and I may ultimately be right on this, we haven’t played a single snap of football yet. It’ll take a few years before we know. CW must become an elite QB or Poles made a mistake. Let’s hope it happens.

Not as to the Fields part - no. Moving on was the right call. You didn't need to pick an Elite QB to upgrade - The bar is set very, very low

[HisRoyalSweetness]

The conversation's moved on RichH55. Stop stirring.

[thunderspirit]

The conversation's moved on RichH55. Stop stirring.

Good luck getting through, HRS.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

The conversation's moved on RichH55. Stop stirring.

[dave99]

For one of the first times since Jim Finks ran the Draft, I have faith in the person who is making the decisions. So I'm excited and super curious at what he's going to do at 9.

Boy, is this spot on. We finally have a real GM backed up by a real CEO and team president.
That makes all the difference.

Recalling the words of Dwight Eisenhower:
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

[Bearfacts]

For one of the first times since Jim Finks ran the Draft, I have faith in the person who is making the decisions. So I'm excited and super curious at what he's going to do at 9.

Boy, is this spot on. We finally have a real GM backed up by a real CEO and team president.
That makes all the difference.

Recalling the words of Dwight Eisenhower:
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Boy does that ever apply to the NFL offseason.

For example. Poles took a shot at signing Gabe Davis. We didn't get him but still needed to get a WR. Keenan Allen becomes available and Poles feels he has what it takes to go and get him. Last year he made his pitches to an OT and a DE and didn't get either so he's signs two LB, drafts his OT, then trades for a LDE. So far it looks like his Plan B choices have been better than Plan A.

Unlike Pace who seemed to fall in love with a specific player Poles seems less tied to one player and more to simply improving a unit however he can. He couldn't help the DL as much as he wanted to in FA so he rebuilt the LB core instead, drafted two DT, then trades a 2nd round pick for a top shelf LDE. If something fails to work out as planned he seems to have another way to go fairly well laid out.

[RichH55]

The conversation's moved on RichH55. Stop stirring.

Ohhhhh......the halcyon days of.......April 14th!!!!

[RichH55]

The conversation's moved on RichH55. Stop stirring.

Good luck getting through, HRS.

Yeah - still waiting for you to be able to admit it wasn't all coaching. It's ok to admit when one is wrong.

[Noots]

Unlike Pace who seemed to fall in love with a specific player Poles seems less tied to one player and more to simply improving a unit however he can. He couldn't help the DL as much as he wanted to in FA so he rebuilt the LB core instead, drafted two DT, then trades a 2nd round pick for a top shelf LDE. If something fails to work out as planned he seems to have another way to go fairly well laid out.

Your statement here is ever so spot on. When you think about one of the first moves out of the gate was to sign a 3T in Larry O. who then failed the medical, he got Justin Jones, who IMHO, outperformed Larry for a serious discount.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I’ve criticised Poles in the past - totally without foundation and purely because I’m an impatient fan - but he’s doing a remarkable job of turning this tanker round

[dplank]

New ESPN+ article placing the eligible QB's into Tiers for the upcoming draft. I won't violate the paywall but here's a snippet on CW:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/ ... drake-maye

Tier 1
Caleb Williams, USC
Most frequent scout/exec comp: Aaron Rodgers

The only quarterback to receive a Tier 1 grade on every ballot. "He's a star," an NFL coordinator said of Williams. Added an NFL personnel director: "From a talent standpoint, he's in his own class." Williams' "rare gifts" make him an exception to the rest of this year's group, a veteran AFC scout said, because of his high-level instincts, foot quickness and accuracy. He doesn't have one glaring weakness on which scouts harp. "He makes 'holy s---' throws on a regular basis," the scout said.

Not all teams were thrilled with Williams' pre-draft process. He treated the NFL combine as if he were visiting a real estate open house, casually, declining medical exams and doing a few team interviews before leaving Indy. Teams described his interviews as "good, not great" and "relatively engaged" and noted Williams was not in full-blown interview mode like other prospects, though they suspect that's a byproduct of being a player who knows he's going No. 1.

Williams' pro day was "just OK," according to an AFC exec. "I don't think he's had a great spring," the exec said. "He's still going first. That's pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there's at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he's a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he's going."

Most say the perception that Williams insists on making plays on the run instead of within the confines of a system is overblown. Of the 87 players in Football Bowl Subdivision history to record 10,000 yards of total offense and 100 touchdowns responsible for, Williams has the fewest turnovers at 19.

"Go back to Oklahoma and early USC with [Williams' No. 1 Trojans receiver in 2022] Jordan Addison and he played on time," an NFL offensive coach said. "He has that gear and will be willing to do that, I believe. His supporting cast was not as good [in 2023] so he had to make some things happen."

Other comps included Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray.

Despite any quirks, including questions about his combine strategy, Williams is not considered a red flag from a personality standpoint by scouts who spoke to us.

"Everyone who spends time with him says he's a really good kid," an AFC scout said. "The noise on the outside... I don't think that's him."

I like seeing consensus like this, he's the only guy in his own Tier. Daniels and Maye land in Tier 2. And McCarthey in Tier 2.5 (a cop out, that's Tier 3 but for some reason they want to be nice about it). Penix/Nix next tier. Rattler/Pratt/Milton in the next tier.

[Arkansasbear]

New ESPN+ article placing the eligible QB's into Tiers for the upcoming draft. I won't violate the paywall but here's a snippet on CW:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/ ... drake-maye

Tier 1
Caleb Williams, USC
Most frequent scout/exec comp: Aaron Rodgers

The only quarterback to receive a Tier 1 grade on every ballot. "He's a star," an NFL coordinator said of Williams. Added an NFL personnel director: "From a talent standpoint, he's in his own class." Williams' "rare gifts" make him an exception to the rest of this year's group, a veteran AFC scout said, because of his high-level instincts, foot quickness and accuracy. He doesn't have one glaring weakness on which scouts harp. "He makes 'holy s---' throws on a regular basis," the scout said.

Not all teams were thrilled with Williams' pre-draft process. He treated the NFL combine as if he were visiting a real estate open house, casually, declining medical exams and doing a few team interviews before leaving Indy. Teams described his interviews as "good, not great" and "relatively engaged" and noted Williams was not in full-blown interview mode like other prospects, though they suspect that's a byproduct of being a player who knows he's going No. 1.

Williams' pro day was "just OK," according to an AFC exec. "I don't think he's had a great spring," the exec said. "He's still going first. That's pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there's at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he's a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he's going."

Most say the perception that Williams insists on making plays on the run instead of within the confines of a system is overblown. Of the 87 players in Football Bowl Subdivision history to record 10,000 yards of total offense and 100 touchdowns responsible for, Williams has the fewest turnovers at 19.

"Go back to Oklahoma and early USC with [Williams' No. 1 Trojans receiver in 2022] Jordan Addison and he played on time," an NFL offensive coach said. "He has that gear and will be willing to do that, I believe. His supporting cast was not as good [in 2023] so he had to make some things happen."

Other comps included Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray.

Despite any quirks, including questions about his combine strategy, Williams is not considered a red flag from a personality standpoint by scouts who spoke to us.

"Everyone who spends time with him says he's a really good kid," an AFC scout said. "The noise on the outside... I don't think that's him."

I like seeing consensus like this, he's the only guy in his own Tier. Daniels and Maye land in Tier 2. And McCarthey in Tier 2.5 (a cop out, that's Tier 3 but for some reason they want to be nice about it). Penix/Nix next tier. Rattler/Pratt/Milton in the next tier.

I not a big fan of him skipping the meds, but whatever. Just doing a few interviews, who cares. Why meet with KC, Buffalo, Philly. Basically any team with a QB they aren't moving on from or who can't get into the top 5 range and draft him.

[G08]

Fun angles

[Yogi da Bear]

I liked the chest bump with the offensive lineman. Reminded me of McMahon.

[Rusty Trombagent]

New ESPN+ article placing the eligible QB's into Tiers for the upcoming draft. I won't violate the paywall but here's a snippet on CW:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/ ... drake-maye

Tier 1
Caleb Williams, USC


Not all teams were thrilled with Williams' pre-draft process. He treated the NFL combine as if he were visiting a real estate open house, casually, declining medical exams and doing a few team interviews before leaving Indy. Teams described his interviews as "good, not great" and "relatively engaged" and noted Williams was not in full-blown interview mode like other prospects, though they suspect that's a byproduct of being a player who knows he's going No. 1.

i was thinking about this today when i read this:



and thinking about all the patronizing bullshit that these qb's are about to go through.

[Arkansasbear]

I don’t recall doing these joint 30 visits n the past. Seems like you cut down on one one time with each guy.

[IotaNet]

New ESPN+ article placing the eligible QB's into Tiers for the upcoming draft. I won't violate the paywall but here's a snippet on CW:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/ ... drake-maye

Not all teams were thrilled with Williams' pre-draft process. He treated the NFL combine as if he were visiting a real estate open house, casually … they suspect that's a byproduct of being a player who knows he's going No. 1.

I read this article and loved this part.

Good for Williams!!!