Packer Receivers in 2024

[Thirteen Below]

When the Bears and Packers played the last game of the season, there was one game separating us. Yes GB has a very good roster I just recommend y’all don’t sleep on ours.
I honestly believe of da Bears top three wide receivers any of them would be the number one WR on your team...

Oh, I don't think anyone in the league is sleeping on the Bears at this point - least of all, their biggest rival, 200 miles up I-94/I-43. Believeme, we hear ya coming.

We may make a few remarks about "same ol' Bears" (and we've seen your team go flaccid when the action starts so many times that there's a basis for that), but we know very well that Chicago is going to be a much better team than they have been for quite a few years.

We're just waaay short of convinced that Wiliams is going to be your Moses, the hero your team needs to overcome the mediocre coaching and mangement decisions. Because even if you have the 5 best WRs in the NFL, someone still needs to deliver the ball to them.

If Caleb is above average, we are a very, very dangerous team but we will know soon enough.

Which brings us to Williams.

The entire future of your team over the next 4-8 years depends on him. He may deliver, he may not, we have no way of knowing which way he'll go. He has some excellent qualities, but some red flags.

His attitude is the first thing that jumps out at me, and it ain't a positive clue. Together with his dad, he tried hard to circumvent the NFL collective bargaining agreement by trying to find some way to change the rules and give him an actual ownership stake in the franchise itself. When that went nowhere, he and Dad screened potential agents on the basis of what ideas they had on how to do an end-run around the contract structures for rookies, and find some sort of backdoor where he'd get more money that the rules allowed.

He blew off the combine, refusing to throw or do any physical tests, saying that teams already had all the game film they needed to see how great he is. Teams who interviewed him said that he approached the meetings with a lackadaisical nonchalance, "as though it was a real estate open house and he was looking for a property he liked." Some said it seemed obvious that he wasn't taking the interviews seriously because he knew he was already going #1 anyway.

The month before the draft, one of his future Chicago teammates were publicy warning him his attitude needed an upgrade. Jaylon Johnson said, "You just humble your stuff coming into the building. You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who played this game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. What you did in college, the Hollywood, it’s like 'Nah, you gotta prove yourself."

I don't think I've ever seen a veteran player say something like that about an incoming rookie, and it's not a good look.

I've seen some people already comparing him to Brett Favre, which is not a completely outrageous thing to say - he has the bazooka arm and the gunslinger mentality, but he has so far not shown that he can keep a cool head under pressure, and is quick to scratch the called play and improvise, going for a potential big play rather than take the sure thing for shorter yardag. His release time is not as bad as Fields' but still slow at 3.31 seconds. If he doesn't learn how to get past those things (if Chicago's coaching staff, which has never developed an elite QB, can't teach him patience and displine), he's going to have a short career with 3 or 4 teams.

Additonally, his footwork is inconsistent and often just plain awful, and his pocket discipline depends on whatever pops into his head on any given play. Your team's future depends on him developing his head talent to the same level as his arm talent.

I'm glad you're pumped about your team, and you deserve to be. You've earned that right. But there's nothing anyone can say about Caleb that wasn't also said about Ryan Leaf, Johnny Manziel, JaMarcus Russel... Carson Palmer... Alex Smith.... Rick Mirer, Tim Couch... Akili Smith, Vince Young, Byron Leftwich... Mark Sanchez... Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Blake Bortals, Ryan Tannehil... RG III... not all #1 or #2 picks, but they all went Top 10 and were touted as the saviors of their franchise.

In the 30 years between 1993 and 2023, 39 quarterbacks have gone Top 10, projected future franchise QBs. Over half of them were busts. And with Caleb's attitude problems, ego, and lack of discipline, I can see an awful lot of things that can easily go wrong.

So... yeah; I'm happy for you guys that you have something to be xcited about. But the Magic 8-Ball says, "whoa, maybe not so fast here... "

 

[Heyjoe4]

Oh, I don't think anyone in the league is sleeping on the Bears at this point - least of all, their biggest rival, 200 miles up I-94/I-43. Believeme, we hear ya coming.

We may make a few remarks about "same ol' Bears" (and we've seen your team go flaccid when the action starts so many times that there's a basis for that), but we know very well that Chicago is going to be a much better team than they have been for quite a few years.

We're just waaay short of convinced that Wiliams is going to be your Moses, the hero your team needs to overcome the mediocre coaching and mangement decisions. Because even if you have the 5 best WRs in the NFL, someone still needs to deliver the ball to them.

Which brings us to Williams.

The entire future of your team over the next 4-8 years depends on him. He may deliver, he may not, we have no way of knowing which way he'll go. He has some excellent qualities, but some red flags.

His attitude is the first thing that jumps out at me, and it ain't a positive clue. Together with his dad, he tried hard to circumvent the NFL collective bargaining agreement by trying to find some way to change the rules and give him an actual ownership stake in the franchise itself. When that went nowhere, he and Dad screened potential agents on the basis of what ideas they had on how to do an end-run around the contract structures for rookies, and find some sort of backdoor where he'd get more money that the rules allowed.

He blew off the combine, refusing to throw or do any physical tests, saying that teams already had all the game film they needed to see how great he is. Teams who interviewed him said that he approached the meetings with a lackadaisical nonchalance, "as though it was a real estate open house and he was looking for a property he liked." Some said it seemed obvious that he wasn't taking the interviews seriously because he knew he was already going #1 anyway.

The month before the draft, one of his future Chicago teammates were publicy warning him his attitude needed an upgrade. Jaylon Johnson said, "You just humble your stuff coming into the building. You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who played this game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. What you did in college, the Hollywood, it’s like 'Nah, you gotta prove yourself."

I don't think I've ever seen a veteran player say something like that about an incoming rookie, and it's not a good look.

I've seen some people already comparing him to Brett Favre, which is not a completely outrageous thing to say - he has the bazooka arm and the gunslinger mentality, but he has so far not shown that he can keep a cool head under pressure, and is quick to scratch the called play and improvise, going for a potential big play rather than take the sure thing for shorter yardag. His release time is not as bad as Fields' but still slow at 3.31 seconds. If he doesn't learn how to get past those things (if Chicago's coaching staff, which has never developed an elite QB, can't teach him patience and displine), he's going to have a short career with 3 or 4 teams.

Additonally, his footwork is inconsistent and often just plain awful, and his pocket discipline depends on whatever pops into his head on any given play. Your team's future depends on him developing his head talent to the same level as his arm talent.

I'm glad you're pumped about your team, and you deserve to be. You've earned that right. But there's nothing anyone can say about Caleb that wasn't also said about Ryan Leaf, Johnny Manziel, JaMarcus Russel... Carson Palmer... Alex Smith.... Rick Mirer, Tim Couch... Akili Smith, Vince Young, Byron Leftwich... Mark Sanchez... Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Blake Bortals, Ryan Tannehil... RG III... not all #1 or #2 picks, but they all went Top 10 and were touted as the saviors of their franchise.

In the 30 years between 1993 and 2023, 39 quarterbacks have gone Top 10, projected future franchise QBs. Over half of them were busts. And with Caleb's attitude problems, ego, and lack of discipline, I can see an awful lot of things that can easily go wrong.

So... yeah; I'm happy for you guys that you have something to be xcited about. But the Magic 8-Ball says, "whoa, maybe not so fast here... "

C'mon 13! You're taking all the air out of our friend Caleb's balloon.

Hmmm, I didn't know these things about Williams and the games he and his Dad tried to play with agents and teams. Assuming it's true, it's not a good look. And it is very naive to be looking for an ownership cut. No team would agree to that from a rookie, or anyone I guess.

But the stat you referenced that threw me was the 3.31 release time. That seems very slow, even for a college QB. Is that right, and how does that compare to other top 10 draft picks? The questions are rhetorical. It just seems that 3.31 seconds is very slow.

 

[OldSchool101]

Yeah that was the drop heard all around the Packer world. There is just no way around it, Watson (or any WR) has to make that catch. It was one of the best passes Rodgers ever threw, and that's saying a lot.

I don't think that's still bothering Watson. Surely he'd like to put together a solid, 1,000 yard plus season as much as we want him to. I hope his route tree keeps expanding and they find different ways to get him the ball. Jordy Nelson turned a lot of 5-10 yard passes into big gains. Watson is capable of the same. And developing a short game will make his long threat easier.

I like that thought. Find ways to get Christian some more plays on crossing routes or slants or away from coverage where he can use his speed to get under the ball and burn it.

Sorry if I threw you guys off talking on topic! Just busting some chops. It’s hard not to spar with a Bears fan it’s so unfair. lol

 

[Thirteen Below]

C'mon 13! You're taking all the air out of our friend Caleb's balloon.

Yeah, I feel kind of badly popping his bubble.Probably won'tb take too much of the wind out of his sails, though - he seems indefatigably optimistic.

Hmmm, I didn't know these things about Williams and the games he and his Dad tried to play with agents and teams. Assuming it's true, it's not a good look. And it is very naive to be looking for an ownership cut. No team would agree to that from a rookie, or anyone I guess.

The NFL woudn't allow it; it's completely illegal under the rules. Rodgers briefly tried the same thing with the Jets last year, and the idea got shot dead in the street real quick.

I couldn't find any one article that listed all the red flags scouts and analysts saw (or thought they saw), but I did find 3 articles that (between them) listed almost everything I mentioned.

There are also articles I didn't link, that said these things but also added that Williams initially demanded that part of his salary be paid in forgivable loans, which the NFL said no chance. He then asked if he could be paid through an LLC - as a corporation, rather than as an individual, so hs would bne taxed at a much klower rate. This is legal, and it's a trick my wife often uses on her contract gigs. The forgivable loan angle is legal too, but the NFL said to forget it.

NFL rumors: Caleb Williams is looking for 'loophole' in rookie wage scale

NIL star Caleb Williams may challenge the NFL rookie wage scale which could make the Bears or other teams wary of taking him in the draft.

clutchpoints.com

Former NFL Scout Puts '100% Chance' on Caleb Williams Being a Bust

Find out why a former scout has given USC QB Caleb Williams a 100% chance of being a bust in the NFL.

firstroundmock.com

Insider addresses alleged Caleb Williams red flags

Despite being the consensus choice to be the top pick in the upcoming draft, Williams hasn't escaped some pointing to potential red flags.

www.yardbarker.com

But the stat you referenced that threw me was the 3.31 release time. That seems very slow, even for a college QB. Is that right, and how does that compare to other top 10 draft picks? The questions are rhetorical. It just seems that 3.31 seconds is very slow.

I couldn't find anywhere that listed the exact times for each quarterback, so I couldn't directly compare. But DraftBuzz ranked the prospects on a 0-100 scale, on two pages. The first page showed the Top 20 pospects, and Caleb did not make that page. I keep trying to pull up Page 2, but it refuses to load. The bottom player on that 1-20 list was given a score of 73 for his release time; by comparison, Bo Nix scored 90, and Drake Maye, Penix, Daniels, Milton, and even Reed and Rattler were in the 80s.

But if you look at Caleb's personal profile, it shows he scored 73 - behind even a couple of guys who weren't even drafted (by comnparison, Michael Pratt scored 79 on his personal profile, and was ranked #15 in that category).

QUARTERBACKS WITH THE QUICKEST RELEASE 2024 NFL DRAFT - Page 1

QUARTERBACKS WITH THE QUICKEST RELEASE 2024 NFL DRAFT - Page 1

www.nfldraftbuzz.com

So, yeah... clearly tons of potential, and he could be a home run. But he's got some fundamentals that are far short of NFL level, and we'll see how he's doing wiith that in a week and a half, when the Bears play the Texans.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Yeah, I feel kind of badly popping his bubble.Probably won'tb take too much of the wind out of his sails, though - he seems indefatigably optimistic.


The NFL woudn't allow it; it's completely illegal under the rules. Rodgers briefly tried the same thing with the Jets last year, and the idea got shot dead in the street real quick.

I couldn't find any one article that listed all the red flags scouts and analysts saw (or thought they saw), but I did find 3 articles that (between them) listed almost everything I mentioned.

There are also articles I didn't link, that said these things but also added that Williams initially demanded that part of his salary be paid in forgivable loans, which the NFL said no chance. He then asked if he could be paid through an LLC - as a corporation, rather than as an individual, so hs would bne taxed at a much klower rate. This is legal, and it's a trick my wife often uses on her contract gigs. The forgivable loan angle is legal too, but the NFL said to forget it.

NFL rumors: Caleb Williams is looking for 'loophole' in rookie wage scale

NIL star Caleb Williams may challenge the NFL rookie wage scale which could make the Bears or other teams wary of taking him in the draft.

clutchpoints.com

Former NFL Scout Puts '100% Chance' on Caleb Williams Being a Bust

Find out why a former scout has given USC QB Caleb Williams a 100% chance of being a bust in the NFL.

firstroundmock.com

Insider addresses alleged Caleb Williams red flags

Despite being the consensus choice to be the top pick in the upcoming draft, Williams hasn't escaped some pointing to potential red flags.

www.yardbarker.com

I couldn't find anywhere that listed the exact times for each quarterback, so I couldn't directly compare. But DraftBuzz ranked the prospects on a 0-100 scale, on two pages. The first page showed the Top 20 pospects, and Caleb did not make that page. I keep trying to pull up Page 2, but it refuses to load. The bottom player on that 1-20 list was given a score of 73 for his release time; by comparison, Bo Nix scored 90, and Drake Maye, Penix, Daniels, Milton, and even Reed and Rattler were in the 80s.

But if you look at Caleb's personal profile, it shows he scored 73 - behind even a couple of guys who weren't even drafted (by comnparison, Michael Pratt scored 79 on his personal profile, and was ranked #15 in that category).

QUARTERBACKS WITH THE QUICKEST RELEASE 2024 NFL DRAFT - Page 1

QUARTERBACKS WITH THE QUICKEST RELEASE 2024 NFL DRAFT - Page 1

www.nfldraftbuzz.com

So, yeah... clearly tons of potential, and he could be a home run. But he's got some fundamentals that are far short of NFL level, and we'll see how he's doing wiith that in a week and a half, when the Bears play the Texans.

Thanks for the additional info 13. A lot of red or maybe pink flags, both actually. He certainly shows a "me first" mentality, and we saw what happened when Rodgers went to that dark side. It's concerning. If he plays lights out, then no one will probably care. But if he struggles, he's left his detractors and certainly the sports media with ammo.