OTAs

[AmishMafia]

I'm surprised that I haven't seen anything about who was doing really good in OTAs.

I believe only 1 OTA was open to reporters.

The one tomorrow is open, so maybe we will get some more info.

Positives I have heard are for Bullard, Cooper, Reed, Watson, Wooden, Jaire, and Stokes have all been mentioned. I may be missing a few, but these are the stronger ones.

 

[OldSchool101]

I highly doubt skipped OTA's had that much of a result in timing in week 20 or 21 of the season. Early in the year? Yeah. Shouldn't be an issue any longer at that point, though.

We don’t know do we? That’s Too bad

What we do know is IF #12 had been there from DAY1 we wouldn’t have to have a debate on it we could both agree it didn’t matter.

It’s intriguing how our season came down to 1 throw to make the playoffs isn’t it? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that slight under throw was to a Rookie player who he didn’t get a FULL benefit of time with. Maybe he had 97%, but 97% don’t cut it in this league.
Just Don’t have regrets. The best way to not have regrets is giving it 100% and not 99%. You don’t score a 100% missing practices with Rookie Wideouts in my opinion.
No. I agree with Joe Theisman when he answered an important question in an interview a few years back (BEFORE RODGERS skipped OTA’s) that the 1 thing that propelled his career more than anything else??
SHOWING UP EARLY.
Joe said the one thing that he can definitively say that propelled greatness was that he showed up at the facility 1 month BEFORE the other players. Not a week. Not a couple of OTA practices that were voluntary. He showed a FULL calendar month early.

Now that said, I always thought what an interesting response. Not arm strength. Not skill. Not athletic ability. Not mental awareness or any other hosts of answers he could’ve said. He said
“I showed up a month early”.
#1 most impactful thing that impacted his football career was essentially… DEVOTION.

Devotion is doing the things for the ones or the things we love that go far beyond mandatory.

 

[PikeBadger]

We don’t know do we? That’s Too bad

What we do know is IF #12 had been there from DAY1 we wouldn’t have to have a debate on it we could both agree it didn’t matter.

It’s intriguing how our season came down to 1 throw to make the playoffs isn’t it? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that slight under throw was to a Rookie player who he didn’t get a FULL benefit of time with. Maybe he had 97%, but 97% don’t cut it in this league.
Just Don’t have regrets. The best way to not have regrets is giving it 100% and not 99%. You don’t score a 100% missing practices with Rookie Wideouts in my opinion.
No. I agree with Joe Theisman when he answered an important question in an interview a few years back (BEFORE RODGERS skipped OTA’s) that the 1 thing that propelled his career more than anything else??
SHOWING UP EARLY.
Joe said the one thing that he can definitively say that propelled greatness was that he showed up at the facility 1 month BEFORE the other players. Not a week. Not a couple of OTA practices that were voluntary. He showed a FULL calendar month early.

Now that said, I always thought what an interesting response. Not arm strength. Not skill. Not athletic ability. Not mental awareness or any other hosts of answers he could’ve said. He said
“I showed up a month early”.
#1 most impactful thing that impacted his football career was essentially… DEVOTION.

Devotion is doing the things for the ones we love that go beyond mandatory.

When Rodgers skipped OTA's for week long darkness and solitude therapy and toad smoking there was a lot of arguments here as to the importance.

My stance was and still is, if I'm GM it's just another reason to get rid of the guy. It definitely sends the bosses a message that he is not fully committed to the overall health and welfare of the team and teamwork.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I'm surprised that I haven't seen anything about who was doing really good in OTAs.

FWIW, the Chicago media has been reporting early struggles by Williams. Not sure how anyone can be evaluated in OTAs, and the #1 guy is gonna have everyone looking at him.

OTAs are to introduce the rookies and start the process of building a team. I don't think it's important that everyone be there to fine tune execution. It's important for the team, with all of the players.

 

[Heyjoe4]

When Rodgers skipped OTA's for week long darkness and solitude therapy and toad smoking there was a lot of arguments here as to the importance.

My stance was and still is, if I'm GM it's just another reason to get rid of the guy. It definitely sends the bosses a message that he is not fully committed to the overall health and welfare of the team and teamwork.

Exactly. And how hard is it to spend what, two weeks in May with the whole team? It's not gonna be the cause for a dropped or missed pass in December. It's an intangible, a statement that everyone is committed from the start.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Now that said, I always thought what an interesting response. Not arm strength. Not skill. Not athletic ability. Not mental awareness or any other hosts of answers he could’ve said. He said
“I showed up a month early”.
#1 most impactful thing that impacted his football career was essentially… DEVOTION.

Devotion is doing the things for the ones or the things we love that go far beyond mandatory.

Which makes me think immediately of Brady, who was also mentioned a couple of times earlier in this thread.

His first season with the Patriots, he got a key to the facility from the maintenance guy. One night, Scott Pioli (New England VP in charge of player personnel) worked until after midnight, and as he was leaving he noticed some lights on. When he went to turn them off, he found Tom Brady watching film. Brady typically showed up for work at 6 AM, left for dinner at 7 PM, and then came back for 4 more hours to study every single inch of film he could get his tiny hands on. Pioli was impressed.

That's how a high school linebacker who was also the 5th string quarterback becomes Tom Brady.

Also, as far as Rodgers was concerned... what I never understood was, why would he not want to be there for early OTAs? If you love the game so much, love your team, wouldn't you be dying of curiosity every May to get to camp and get your first look at who you're going to be throwing to? Wouldn't you be excited to see what you're going to have to work with? I sure would. If you're Aaron Rodgers, you have 30 or 40 more years to be a big celebrity every single day of your life. You only have a small handful of years to be the best you can be at the game you love. Why would you not want to be the best you can possibly be every single season you're able to play? Why would you not want to help your new young teammates become as good as they can get at doing their jobs? Unless of course you're not going to throw them any footballs until their 3rd year anyway, but that just gets me started down yet another rant.

IMO, this is why Tom Brady will always be the greatest quarterback who ever played the game. Aaron Rodgers is just the greatest passer. Because he was OK with being just that; Tom Brady never was. You only have a handful of chances at a championship level season; why would anyone who worked so hard to be in a position to have championship seasons **** away a single one of them? I just don't get that.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Exactly. And how hard is it to spend what, two weeks in May with the whole team? It's not gonna be the cause for a dropped or missed pass in December. It's an intangible, a statement that everyone is committed from the start.

No kidding. Mushrooms aren't even in season yet in May; what else does he have to be spending his time on?

 

[Thirteen Below]

FWIW, the Chicago media has been reporting early struggles by Williams. Not sure how anyone can be evaluated in OTAs, and the #1 guy is gonna have everyone looking at him.

OTAs are to introduce the rookies and start the process of building a team. I don't think it's important that everyone be there to fine tune execution. It's important for the team, with all of the players.

7 consecutive interceptions in the 7 on 7 drill. Supposedly did better on the 2nd day, though.

 

[El Guapo]

I like your advice but do you think my wife will allow me to hire the hot "escort" to take to my 50th class reunion if I promise to return to her the next day?

There's several directions to go here:
1) You never know until you ask. The answer might surprise you. Although in this case, it may get you divorced or killed (which might be a preferable outcome depending on your perspective).
2) Ask for forgiveness instead of permission. The end result may be the same as in Option #1 above.
3) Take Mamma San to the reunion and introduce her as your hot escort.
4) Stay home and order in some pizza.

 

[OldSchool101]

Yes. These guys get paid handsomely for what? At best 10-20 years of football. They are often retired by 40-45yrs old at the latest. The thing that gets me with #12 is the Packers just gave him a league leading $$$ contract showing their FULL devotion.
It seems almost like a slap in the face to have him slow roll coming back as if he’s too good for that contract. He’s a human like everyone else and he’s actually getting to be a pretty risky financial expenditure at that.

Then theres Jordan Love who just exceeded in 2023 what Aaron did in 2022. Yet he’s there at the facility and happy to be there. He’s already getting a good look at his Wide Receivers early and fully engaged. Thats the way you lead by example. Thats called action not words

 

[El Guapo]

7 consecutive interceptions in the 7 on 7 drill. Supposedly did better on the 2nd day, though.

I could care less about 7 in 7 on 7 . I don't want the QB that does everything perfect and doesn't learn a damned thing. I'd rather have the guy that throws 7 picks in OTAs and then actually learns 7 things that he should never do again. This will define what kind of player Williams will be for the Bears.

 

[AmishMafia]

I could care less about 7 in 7 on 7 . I don't want the QB that does everything perfect and doesn't learn a damned thing. I'd rather have the guy that throws 7 picks in OTAs and then actually learns 7 things that he should never do again. This will define what kind of player Williams will be for the Bears.

Yeah, way to early to say Williams is struggling.

Other QBs who had little success early are Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. I don't think he is a slam dunk All Pro as some do, but he needs a chance to get his feet under him.

 

[Poppa San]

No kidding. Mushrooms aren't even in season yet in May; what else does he have to be spending his time on?

I've dumped over 5" of water out of my rain gauge this past week.. Trust me, mushrooms are everywhere.

4) Stay home and order in some pizza.

This is the winning option since I forgot all about ordering tickets. Pizza doesn't get delivered here. Gonna be from the freezer.

 

[Firethorn1001]

7 consecutive interceptions in the 7 on 7 drill. Supposedly did better on the 2nd day, though.

What? 6 in a row?

 

[Sanguine camper]

I recall AR12 saying and doing "the right things" his first half dozen seasons as the leader too. We'll need to wait and see if the 35yo JL10 would rather spend April or May in Green Bay instead of Palm Springs or Monaco.

I hope the Love has the kind if success that it's a threat to go to his head when he's 35. A couple of Super Bowl MVP's would be the ticket!

 

[rmontro]

7 consecutive interceptions in the 7 on 7 drill.

Sounds like they've found their Favre.

 

[gopkrs]

Yeah, way to early to say Williams is struggling.

Other QBs who had little success early are Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. I don't think he is a slam dunk All Pro as some do, but he needs a chance to get his feet under him.

Until those Hershel Walker draft picks kicked in; Aikman was on a bad team. And Breeze had to play second string in San Diego. Don't know why Manning had problems. Assuming he did. It looks like Williams will have a decent O line to start with. At this point I agree the OTs don't mean much in his case. Would not mind seeing him fail though.

 

[AmishMafia]

Until those Hershel Walker draft picks kicked in; Aikman was on a bad team. And Breeze had to play second string in San Diego. Don't know why Manning had problems. Assuming he did. It looks like Williams will have a decent O line to start with. At this point I agree the OTs don't mean much in his case. Would not mind seeing him fail though.

Hershel Walker draft picks?

Williams has a way to go before he is known one way or the other. Did listen to former GM Lombardi on NFLN saying he wasn't such a sure thing as most were saying. Said that he had a few games where he got rattled and fell apart.

And drew Brees was starting is SD but playing mediocre. The Chargers drafted phillip Rivers and then Brees played much better that 3rd season.

 

[Voyageur]

Hershel Walker draft picks?

Williams has a way to go before he is known one way or the other. Did listen to former GM Lombardi on NFLN saying he wasn't such a sure thing as most were saying. Said that he had a few games where he got rattled and fell apart.

And drew Brees was starting is SD but playing mediocre. The Chargers drafted phillip Rivers and then Brees played much better that 3rd season.

So True. Sometimes a player needs to realize that they are a legend in their own mind, but not on the field, until they show the world what they've got. All the praise this kid has gotten has to have effected his mental state. He is probably so high on himself that he figures he's going to be the instant savior of the Chicago Bears.

That's why I've always appreciated the route that both Rodgers and Love have taken, where they learn humility and the game well enough to actually contribute, before they actually hit the field in games that are meaningful.

What's happening to Williams can either make him stronger, or tear his entire game down if he feels he's not living up to his billing. In all honesty, I'm not quite as sold on him as so many seem to be. I've seen too many guys with all this talent show up in the NFL and be total busts.

 

[PikeBadger]

7 consecutive interceptions in the 7 on 7 drill. Supposedly did better on the 2nd day, though.

Lol, and that's with no fear of getting smoked by a d-lineman or blitzing LB

 

[Heyjoe4]

Hershel Walker draft picks?

Williams has a way to go before he is known one way or the other. Did listen to former GM Lombardi on NFLN saying he wasn't such a sure thing as most were saying. Said that he had a few games where he got rattled and fell apart.

And drew Brees was starting is SD but playing mediocre. The Chargers drafted phillip Rivers and then Brees played much better that 3rd season.

Damn I didn't know that factoid about Rivers/Brees. Thanks Amish.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Lol, and that's with no fear of getting smoked by a d-lineman or blitzing LB

It's never too early to throw **** at the Bears. Of course OTAs mean next to nothing about how someone will play in September, but this is too much to pass up!

 

[sschind]

Sounds like they've found their Favre.

Im pretty sure Bears fans would be very happy if they got another Brett Favre. I know I would be.

 

[rmontro]

Im pretty sure Bears fans would be very happy if they got another Brett Favre. I know I would be.

I would be if we had another Holmgren to go with him.
I would say another Reggie White wouldn't hurt either, but there's only one Reggie White.

 

[Voyageur]

Josh Jacobs was out running some today in OTAs. A slow return from his injury, so he's ready to carry the mail when the season starts. He's going to have a solid season, and next year, even better. He's the perfect fit in the Packer family. People are going to appreciate his work.