How the Bears Secured an Early Advantage with Caleb Williams
It was clear from the beginning that the Chicago Bears had their sights set on quarterback Caleb Williams for the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
This was apparent even before they officially traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Fields out of the picture, the Bears were able to focus on integrating Williams into their system.
Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated provided insights into the Bears' pre-draft preparations for Williams. Chicago took advantage of the allowed three one-hour Zoom meetings to introduce Williams to Shane Waldron's offense. The first meeting covered the terminology, the second focused on the base plays for first and second downs, and the third emphasized red zone and third-down plays.
Head coach Matt Eberflus explained to Breer, «We wanted our install set for the OTAs and rookie minicamp, and we wanted to ensure he understood them during those Zoom meetings. So when he arrived at rookie minicamp on May 9, he was already familiar with the installs. We were fortunate to do that, and Shane and the offensive staff have done an excellent job making it accessible and understandable for Caleb.»
Williams is now applying his knowledge on the practice field alongside veteran teammates during organized team activities.
From the outset, the Bears have crafted an ideal environment for a rookie quarterback. They got a head start on offensive installation, and Williams has a strong support system, including DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet, along with an upgraded offensive line and a top-10 defense.
Williams is clearly positioned for immediate success in his rookie season.
| POLL | ||
23 MAI | 28 ANSWERS How the Bears Secured an Early Advantage with Caleb Williams Do you think Caleb Williams will have a successful rookie season? | ||
| yes | 26 | 92.9 % |
| No | 2 | 7.1 % |
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