Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was asked about Caleb Williams and how it feels to be ‘starting fresh’ with a new quarterback
Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is already drawing rave reviews from his teammates, and star wide receiver DJ Moore's praise shines a light on a key reason general manager Ryan Poles moved on from Justin Fields in favor of Williams.
"Anticipation is there," Moore told The Mirror about his early throwing session with Williams. "You can tell that he's expecting us to be open at a certain time. That's gonna be one of the things that's better. Just gotta be on the same page with him going forward. It's just gonna take some time. Maybe it's gonna be fast, or it might take some time. But I'm hoping it's fast."
That praise of Williams' anticipation came up again in an interview with Kay Adams of "Up and Adams."
"His anticipation," Moore said when asked what sets Williams apart. "We was working out and he had the ball right there on the money before we even turned around."
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Williams' arm talent, accuracy, and anticipation placed him atop a loaded quarterback class and separated him from a quarterback in Fields, who is talented but never showcased the NFL-level anticipation needed to become an upper-echelon signal-caller.
The anticipation and the ability to throw Moore, Keenan Allen, and fellow rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze open is one of the numerous reasons the Bears were sold on Williams early in the pre-draft process.
It's also the most important thing to watch as the Williams era begins Friday with rookie minicamp at Halas Hall.
The connection between Williams and Odunze will be front and center over the next two days. Williams' highly praised anticipatory throwing will be the focus throughout the offseason program and training camp.
The Bears' passing game struggled in the previous two training camps, and it was a harbinger of things to come for Fields and a sputtering aerial attack.
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Things should be different with Williams running the show, and it's already clear by the specific praise the rookie has received from his star receiver.
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