Fans got to see Caleb Williams in Chicago Bears colors for the first time as rookie minicamps began. Players attending the event were there either to get started on absorbing the playbook or to have a tryout, hoping for an invitation to training camp. That it is important not to read too much into what is happening on the field. It is nothing but drills. However, that didn’t stop the young quarterback from still making an instant impression on the field, generating a buzz among players and media during the practice.
No, it wasn’t with his body language or vocal presence. It was with his passes. It became immediately obvious how accurate Williams is. Almost every throw hit its target without any sign of poor ball placement.
“Caleb Williams’ ability to throw a spiral should be featured in a how-to-video for beginners just learning about the quarterback position. He consistently throws accurate passes and does so effortlessly. Whether it’s a slant, a pass to the flat or on vertical routes during individual drills, nearly every pass was put where it needed to be.”
“Williams was on time and accurate with almost every pass during the 7-on-7 portion of the day. That included eight completions to Odunze, who moved all around the field during Day 1 of rookie minicamp.
On the day, Williams had only three incompletions. The first was a drop by tight end Brendan Bates in the flat. The second was a ball thrown high and in front of Peter LeBlanc. The final incompletion was the product of a nice play by cornerback Leon Jones, who reacted quickly to break up a quick out to the left.”
“His arm talent and his ability to put the ball where it needs to be. That’s evident from Day 1.”
People talk about arm strength all the time when referencing what great quarterbacks need. In reality, most NFL people will say accuracy comes first. A pro quarterback must be able to fit the ball into tight windows. This problem haunted Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, and most previous Bears quarterbacks. Williams has no such issues.
That comes naturally to him. His touch is something you can’t teach. His tight, compact delivery makes it even better. It means he should get the ball out before a lot of sacks, another problem Fields had due to his elongated delivery. The big question is whether Williams will be able to process information at a high enough speed in the NFL. He must be able to examine a defense, read what it will do before the snap, make adjustments, take the snap, read what the coverage does, and get the ball out on time. All of this must be done in a matter of seconds.
There is a reason few men can play quarterback at a high level in this sport.
One piece of the puzzle appears solved. Caleb Williams can sling that rock with unerring precision. Next comes working to determine how sharp his processor is. The Bears don’t seem concerned about it. He showed lots of flashes of throwing with good timing and anticipation at USC. Learning the playbook as quickly as possible will help streamline the process. The faster Williams grows comfortable with the system, the smoother he should play.
