Former NFL Scout: Caleb Williams is a Bust

[TL1961]

Imop, there is no one in this draft equal to what a trade down will bring you. Trade the fucking pick, grab MHJ build the damn team. Pick up a QB later on...other teams have found gold late. If your team is good enough you won't need another Brady to get where you need to go.

Where do you think MHJ will be drafted?

A trade down AND selecting MHJ seem mutually exclusive.

 

[Icculus]

So we should wait until the media and fans aren't terrible before drafting a QB?

Interesting approach.

Reading comprehension is not your strong suit. Neither is sports knowledge.

 

[Bearly]

And here’s some scouts and GMs who think he’s the best prospect since Peyton Manning: https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/c...spects-trevor-lawrence-joe-burrow-bryce-young

It’s almost like people can just pick whichever story best suits their preferences (including pro-Williams people).

As I’ve always said, don’t let others do all your thinking for you.

Then how am I supposed to take your advice?

 

[sevvy]

This may hurt some feelings but....

So far, Justin Fields has been a bust.

Lol. It's fair to say that he's underperformed. It's not fair to call him a bust. Justin Fields is going to start in the NFL next year. A bust wouldn't be starting in year 4.

The anti-Fields cult is hilarious. Can't even have an objective discussion with these

 

[greg23]

This may hurt some feelings but....

So far, Justin Fields has been a bust.

The entire scouting report, one can substitute fields for Williams and would be spot on.

Nobody is a perfect product coming out of college and he could easily bust with expectations and poor mental capacity...but a 4th round grade is fairly comical

 

[PrideisBears]

So we should wait until the media and fans aren't terrible before drafting a QB?

Interesting approach.

Are you planning on cunting all day today?

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

He's right about one thing: when you throw phrases around like "generational talent" you're never going to live up to that hype.

 

[Bearly]

It’s crazy how many Bears fans who spent the last 3 years screaming “stop making excuses for Fields” have spent the past season making excuses for a guy who isn’t even on the team yet. There are red flags and the media hype machine has brainwashed everyone to thinking this guy is Peyton Manning with Mahomes’ improvization.

He’s an awesome prospect and would be #1 most years but holy shit has this thing entered a different realm of scrotum shining by one side and unwavering scrutiny by the other.

I hope he’s the one that finally ends the Bears QB curse just so this obnoxious qb discourse can take a break for a decade.

we need to embrace the NFLs first openly *** QB and support him through the ups and downs.

My gaydar was at yellow alert with Fields when he was drafted too. Not sure why. Didn't matter. I wanted him bad!

Oh Wait!

 

[TL1961]

If we nab Waldron I'm excited because he's done great work with Geno, Lock and got Russell to get rid of the ball quickly.

I'd be most encouraged if we kept Justin and developed him because he's clearly got the mental makeup to handle this city and this position and we're clearly going to be in win now mode next year, putting a rookie QB in here with those expectations scares the shit out of me.

The Bears should be in "contend for a playoff spot" next year and we will be disappointed if they don't make it.
But they're not in "Super Bowl or Bust" mode. Their window is not even open yet, let alone closing.

As much as we want to see them win in 2024, the 2024 #1 pick is not about just the 2024 season. It's about 2025, more likely 2026, and beyond. Hopefully well beyond.

 

[TL1961]

Reading comprehension is not your strong suit. Neither is sports knowledge.

He literally suggested a rookie QB would have issues due to the media and fans (among other things).
So, no, reading comprehension was not an issue. Me calling out silly statements by others seems to be for you, though.

 

[TL1961]

Are you planning on cunting all day today?

Only one of us is doing that, and it certainly isn't me.

 

[modo]

I’ve watched a handful of YouTube video highlights with rap music and I can say with a low degree of certainty that Caleb Williams may or may not be overrated

 

[Bearly]

As someone who has just started watching All-22 film on Williams, I don't have super strong opinions on him yet, but from what I have seen, I do think most of these concerns are extremely stupid and no one should pay attention to this "former NFL scout."

Concerns​

1. Downward trajectory ⎯Williams regressed in 2023.

I'm not so sure that Williams regressed so much as his team regressed. When a QB knows his offense is going to have to score 50 points to win a game, that puts a lot of pressure on him to make big plays over and over again, and trailing by multiple scores late in a game is a situation where a QB should more take risks and therefore have worse efficiency numbers.

2. NFL Expectations ⎯will be crazy high. The expectations alone will cause him to be a bust.

This is just dumb. #1 overall picks always have extremely high expectations, and historically QBs drafted #1 overall are the statistically least likely to bust.

3. Time to throw ⎯Pro Football Focus recorded Williams at 3.44 seconds in 2022 and 3.21 seconds in 2023. Williams was sacked 63 times (2022-2023). Only seven NFL QBs are over 3 seconds (NEXT GEN STATS). Bears’ QB Justin Fields was the slowest (3.23 seconds). Fields was sacked 99 times (2022-2023).

The difference between watching All-22 on Fields and watching All-22 on Williams is that when Fields is holding on to the ball for a long time, you see lots of guys getting open that Fields misses, and when Williams is holding on to the ball for a long time, you see none of his first 3 reads coming open.

4. Glorifed system QB ⎯I did an independent study this season, Williams’ best completion percentages came throwing 44-62% short passes. His three worst games (55.9%-57.5%) were fewer short passes.

WTF is this even supposed to mean? Every QB has a higher completion percentage on shorter passes. Also, Williams isn't throwing screens and checkdowns all game, so how is this a criticism?

5. Not a big game QB ⎯Williams was 2-9 against ranked teams the past two seasons.

Back to the needing to score 50 points a game to win issue. This is not the QB's fault.

6. Fumbles ⎯ 32 fumbles in 36 games.

Finally, a legitimate criticism. Williams tends to hold the ball too low, which leads to a lot of fumbles. Then again, Favre and Rodgers also held the ball low and got away with it. Definitely a legitimate concern and area for improvement.

7. Post-game conduct ⎯refused to shake hands with Utah and refused to talk to reporters after the UCLA loss.

I haven't watched that game yet so I can't comment, but one game does not make a pattern.

8. Nature ⎯Wants to get out of structure as a passer and get reckless as a runner (increased injury risk). He reverts to locking in with receivers. Additionally, he talked down about a fan calling him a “sheep,” and he does unpredictable and uncensored things ranging from painting obscenities on his fingernails to jumping into the stands and crying in his mother’s arms.

This is wrong. This is Mahomes in 2017 all over again where people said he was a backyard football player who can't play within a structure despite the fact that Mahomes was quietly very good at playing within the system when the blocking was there and guys were getting open. Same thing with Williams. I've seen Williams hang in the pocket and get the ball to his third read on time and on target. Just from very limited watching, I can already tell you that Williams has absolutely shown on film that he can play within structure.

9. Inexperienced dealing with adversity ⎯According to Sports Illustrated (Nov. 28, 2023) Williams said, “I’ve never been in this situation, where I’m 7–5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season. I’m dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically. ”

Oh no he cares about winning and hates being in a situation where he isn't able to make the playoffs.

10. Holiday Bowl ⎯USC bounced right back (same offensive line and defense) against No. 15 Louisville with QB Miller Moss who was making his first career start and he matched Williams’ USC high of six touchdown passes in a game.

Relying on one game sample sizes is stupid. This whole analysis is stupid. This guy is an idiot who no one should pay any attention to.

Lets compare to Mahomes last (best) year vs Caleb last year in college which was clearly not as prolific as his junior year. Passer rating, INTs and one that totally refutes this 'scout'. Williams YPA was over a yard higher. Total yards were clearly lower last year but his rating, INT ratio or %, YPA etc were all about the same as his Heisman year. His actual play did not regress as this 'scout' claims.

And no, I'm not expecting him to be better than Mahomes but I also won't fault him for going for broke, trying to win unwinnable games instead of playing it safe. He'll learn how to reign that in enough when he's in the nfl and even the worst teams can win any Sunday.

 

[bamainatlanta]

I just think this scout likes to take the George Costanza route on everything. Just go the opposite direction of everyone else.

 

[Bearly]

Where do you think MHJ will be drafted?

A trade down AND selecting MHJ seem mutually exclusive.

A trade down to 3 probably still gets him. NE has to want one of the top QBs.

 

[Bearly]

I just think this scout likes to take the George Costanza route on everything. Just go the opposite direction of everyone else.

Bet he gets coal on Festivus.

 

[FozzyBear]

Oh shit, yeah I just looked it up. He got hired by Bill Parcells and company with the Jets.

That's crazy.

FWIW, he also appeared to think Trevor Lawrence was being overrated and that Zach Wilson sucked. He was getting shit on for that opinion. Looked like he knew what he was talking about haha

He gets his info from me.. #GOAT_E-SCOUT

 

[Diehardfan]

Where do you think MHJ will be drafted?

A trade down AND selecting MHJ seem mutually exclusive.

Probably no later than 4....teams sitting at 2 and 3 are looking for QBs.

 

[FozzyBear]

He's right about one thing: when you throw phrases around like "generational talent" you're never going to live up to that hype.

Thats why Lebron is the GOAT

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

I still think it's time to move on from Fields, but continuing to read stuff like this makes me question if Williams is the guy. Maybe Maye or trade down a bit and take one of the other QBs, like Jayden Daniels, later in the first.

Idk... shaping up to be a wild offseason

Looks like they are both the same , fields and Caleb. But if they draft Caleb and trade fields, then they are hoping Caleb doesn’t stay stuck at this level, and actually improves. Therefor in year 3, we won’t be here again. In year 3, we can be saying, we have our franchise QB which plays like burrow, Mahomes, and Allen. That’s the hope obviously. And if we are there and has played like those 3 QBs, then obviously fields wasn’t close to it. We will see.