Soul

FINALLY

That's a good point actually. If you believe BJ is a smart guy (I do), then you also have to believe he saw in Caleb a guy who could possibly be successful in his system, even if it was from afar.

There's a little bit of Chicago sports PTSD mixed in for sure, but to me there's serious, measurable concern that Williams is the guy both in terms of fit for BJ's offense and required skills like quick diagnosis of the defense and consistent accuracy. Of course I'm hoping for big improvements. I would love to be sitting here in December talking about how much of an idiot I am for doubting Caleb Williams.

I'd bet dollars to donuts the Bears haven't really looked.

Meh, his leg is still a noodle and the Bears are always worried about getting close enough.

Here's 10: 1. Adam Vinatieri Undrafted out of South Dakota State (1996). Initially tried the CFL (Amsterdam Admirals, NFL Europe). Cut before sticking. Signed by the Patriots, struggled early, but became the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 4 Super Bowl rings. 2. Justin Tucker Undrafted in 2012 (Texas). Not heavily recruited; signed by the Ravens after camp. Won job after they cut veteran Billy Cundiff. Widely regarded as the most accurate kicker in NFL history. 3. Matt Bryant Undrafted (1999, Baylor). Cut multiple times (Giants, Dolphins, others). Finally caught on with the Buccaneers and later had a long, successful run with the Falcons. Hit several clutch postseason kicks. 4. David Akers Undrafted (1997, Louisville). Cut by the Panthers, Falcons, Redskins before landing with the Eagles. Became a 6-time Pro Bowler and led the league in scoring twice. 5. Nick Lowery Undrafted (1978, Dartmouth). Cut 11 times by 8 teams before finally sticking with the Kansas City Chiefs. Ended career as the NFL’s all-time most accurate kicker at that time. 6. Jay Feely Undrafted (1999, Michigan). Cut by the Buccaneers after camp. Later stuck with the Falcons and had a 14-year career across several teams. 7. Graham Gano Undrafted (2009, Florida State). Cut by the Ravens. Brief CFL stint. Returned to the NFL, stuck with Washington, then the Panthers and Giants. Pro Bowler in 2017. 8. Robbie Gould Undrafted (2005, Penn State). Cut by the Patriots and Ravens. Landed with the Bears, became their all-time leading scorer, later had long stints with the 49ers and Giants. 9. Chandler Catanzaro Undrafted (2014, Clemson). Cut by the Panthers during his first stint. Later succeeded with the Cardinals, making 87% of his FGs in 2015. 10. Phil Dawson Undrafted (1998, Texas). Cut by the Raiders and Patriots. Finally landed with the Browns, where he became a franchise icon and Pro Bowler.

To further drive home the point on Santos and why he shouldn't be with the Bears anymore, even mid-season: "After going undrafted in the 2005 NFL draft, XXXXX was signed as a free agent by the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots prior to the 2005 NFL preseason — even though they already had established Super Bowl-winning placekicker Adam Vinatieri. Following his preseason release from the Patriots, XXXXX signed with the Baltimore Ravens only to be waived three weeks later. He then found construction work with M&R Contracting in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania." Can anyone say who this person is?

Accuracy at shorter distances, which was cool 10 years ago when 50 yarders were still considered difficult. You can grab a kicker off the street who can reach distances well over that. Santos has aged out of the league. His skills are no longer up to standard. He should be gone tomorrow. I'm not sure of the contract implications, if any.

They desperately need those DBs back.

Key hitters on the team all disappeared at the same time. Only Tucker has seemed to right the ship but he’s gimpy now. It’s brutal, it’s disappointing, and it’s confusing to me. There wasn’t a middle ground with this bunch. They were great and then bad.

He is pretty good at escaping the rush. That’s kind of cool. Good eye candy. It does frustrate defenses. But it’s not enough to be a great QB.

Ok, well it seems that my post on this is a resounding dud, LOL

Transplant Caleb’s arm on to Bagent’s shoulder and you’ve got a good QB. I don’t think BJ will stick with Caleb way into the season just because he’s a #1 pick. They re-signed Bagent because BJ really likes him. Poles signed off on that too. He’s not a terrible option for this offense. At the very least, Bagent starting shouldn’t be considered outrageous just because he’s wasn’t a highly touted QB out of college.

He’s will always uncork those maddening throws. It’s in his DNA. Can’t coach it away. He will always overthrow deep guys too. Especially when they are wide open. Had another one of those last night.

I think Caleb started out running the offense more or less the way BJ wants it, but after awhile he just fell back into his old habits of scrambling around and trying to sandlot big plays.

You would undoubtedly be happier. We all would. We’re trapped in a never-ending cycle of mediocrity with only a few bright spots of sanity far in between long stretches of consternation.

I don’t see how he becomes a great QB. He doesn’t see the field well at all. His accuracy sucks. He’s Justin Fields part 2. Can you imagine Caleb Williams surgically guiding his team down the field to win games? Me either.

They aren’t worth the tears.

It’s difficult to imagine a more soul crushing start to the Ben Johnson era. Terrible

It definitely deserves some scrutiny why the Bears have one of the last kickers who struggles with a 50 yarder. I like Santos but the league standard has moved beyond his capabilities.

Caleb is another guy with supreme skills but that’s not what makes a great QB.

Caleb isn’t accurate enough. Not something you can coach.

Welcome to Chicago, Ben.

I was going to say the same thing.