Organized Team Activities is the next step as NFL teams slowly ramp up for training camp. It marked the first instance where Chicago Bears rookies and veterans got to practice together. That meant #1 overall pick Caleb Williams threw to all of his wide receivers. The team finally released their first video from drills this week since media attendance won’t happen until Thursday. Predictably, it showed Williams making a throw. However, it wasn’t a conventional throw. He scrambled to his left, contorted his body, and fired an absolute strike to tight end Gerald Everett over a helpless Kyler Gordon.
It might just be in shorts but throws like that aren’t exactly easy in any setting. Williams made them look routine in college, and it appears he hasn’t lost that touch since getting to Chicago.
Arm strength and accuracy aside, one thing that has caught the attention of many with Williams is his release. It is compact and quick, getting the ball out fast. This was a constant source of frustration with Justin Fields, whose elongated windup often left him open to hits, sacks, and fumbles. It might be a small thing, but small things become huge during games.
Everybody knows he’s a wizard when he decides to scramble. He’s not compared to Patrick Mahomes by accident. Few are better at making throws outside the structure of a play. People need to know if he has the capability to operate with timing and precision inside the pocket. Those are where the great quarterbacks thrive. Mahomes figured it out. Russell Wilson figured it out. Williams has a similar style to them. Does he have the same processing speed? The Bears think so. No doubt their defense aims to test it once training camp begins.
One common trend fans have seen for years is the defense outperforming the offense in practices. Maybe the first sign that Caleb Williams is the real deal will come when he starts stringing together some good practices on offense. He certainly has the supporting cast to make it happen. D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet figure to give the Bears secondary fits. Williams would make it all the tougher with his consistent accuracy.
