Caleb Williams’ progress vs. Bears defense highlights things to watch in Week 2 of OTAs

Caleb Williams’ progress vs. Bears defense highlights things to watch in Week 2 of OTAs originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The second open media OTA practice of the offseason will take place Friday at Halas Hall, giving us a chance to see what reasonable progress looks like for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the 2024 Bears.

The first open media practice belonged to the defense as the Bears’ vaunted secondary locked up a passing attack that was without wide receivers Keenan Allen (personal) and Rome Odunze (hamstring).

That rocky practice for Williams was a reminder of the patience required with even the most talented rookie quarterbacks.

All eyes will again be on Williams on Friday as he looks to continue taking necessary steps in his early development.

Here are a few things to watch for during Friday’s open OTA practice:

What does progress look like?

The expectations will be high for Williams during his rookie season. He finds himself in arguably the best situation ever for a No. 1 pick in the modern era. The Bears are loaded at the skill positions, and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has a sterling reputation in NFL circles for maximizing the talent at his disposal.

But before Williams can light up the NFL and start his ascent to stardom, he’ll have to beat an ascending defense that is out to make his life hell every day in practice.

“Make it as hard on him as possible,” safety Kevin Byard said after the first open media OTA. “Going out there showing some swag, talking trash, doing all that stuff because, at the end of the day, he’s going to have to lead us there. That’s kind of how it’s gonna be. I said something to him at the end of practice: Keep going, we’re gonna keep making you better.

“Not necessarily saying that he had a terrible day, but like days like this are gonna make you better. So that’s our job, and like I said, obviously, just the first three days of practice, he’s done a lot of positive things. He’s made some really…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/caleb-williams-progress-vs-bears-161451618.html

Author : NBC Sports Chicago

Publish date : 2024-05-30 16:14:51

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