Schrock: Caleb Williams’ bumpy practice isn’t a reason to panic, it shows reason for long-term optimism originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams continued scanning the field Thursday during the Bears’ final practice of the first week of OTAs and finding limited open space. At least not the kind of open space he’s used to seeing. When the rookie quarterback finally ripped it, the ball, for the most part, fell to the ground, leading to a chorus of trash talk from the Bears’ vaunted secondary.
Williams fought on Thursday. It’s also a voluntary workout in May against a defense that was one of the NFL’s best units to finish last season.
There should be no reason to panic.
A defense should be miles ahead of an offense learning a new system with a rookie quarterback.
“I mean, we had a good day. I’m not going to sit here and lie about it,” veteran safety Kevin Byard said after practice. “But to be honest, that’s to be expected. You have a top-15, top-10 defense obviously going up against a younger rookie quarterback who’s acclimating and learning things, that’s how it should be.”
Expectations are sky-high for Williams.
Many thought he would parachute into the NFL and surgically dissect defenses like he did at Oklahoma and USC.
But there’s always a learning curve for rookie quarterbacks in the NFL.
The game is faster. The windows are smaller. Couple that with the fact that Williams is working to digest and retain a new offense while trying to build chemistry with his receivers, and it’s easy to see there will be plenty of days like Thursday.
There is another reason not to panic. In fact, it should provide some long-term optimism as Williams prepares for launch.
He will spend the next four months facing a defense with proven veteran players every day in practice. There will be no days off. There are no easy moves. The teaching moments will come fast and furious, and he will be better off in the long run.
The Bears defense is an ascending unit that carried the team in the second half of last season. It has a secondary that features a star cornerback in Jaylon Johnson and rapidly developing young players like cornerback Kyler Gordon, safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
It’s a unit that has heard about the new-look offense all offseason and is eager to make a statement every day in practice.
Before Williams arrived, much of the talk revolved around the situation he was in with the Bears. That conversation revolved around the wide receiving corps and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
But the Bears’ defense could end up being the most essential part of the infrastructure they’ve built around Williams. Facing a defense with sticky corners, speedy safeties and a long, rangy linebacker like Tremaine Edmunds should prepare Williams perfectly for what he’ll face on Sundays.
Instead of destroying the 30th-ranked pass defense every day in practice, Williams will be thrown into a cauldron every day — a cauldron that should help transform him into the star quarterback his talent suggests he will one day become.
The Bears defense understands its role in preparing Williams for the bright lights.
“Make it as difficult as possible for him,” Byard said. “Going around showing off some freebies, talking nonsense, doing all these things because, at the end of the day, he’s going to have to get us there.
“I said something to him at the end of training: keep going, we’ll keep making you better. Not necessarily saying he had a terrible day, but that days like this will make you better. “
There’s no point worrying about a bad practice in May.
There is an unquestionable belief in Williams inside Halas Hall. The bears are seeing daily progress as he continues to learn the offense.
For the Bears, the rest of the spring and summer is about ensuring Williams continues to grow at a reasonable rate while also finding a way to help him remain patient with the growing pains that are natural for a rookie quarterback. in the NFL.
Thursday at Halas Hall was a typical offseason workout for a rookie quarterback against a near-elite NFL defense.
Those days should pay dividends when the games start to matter.
Don’t mind the bumps. Things will settle down for Williams in time.
