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Chris Williams: An expensive utility man?
Chris Williams: An expensive utility man?
Before we spend any more time on the Chicago Bears' need to select at least one offensive linemen early in next month's draft, we need to ask a seemingly obvious question: Didn't they do that three years ago?
Indeed, in 2008, the Bears made a draft decision that should have supplied them an anchor for the next decade. They selected Vanderbilt left tackle Chris Williams with the No. 14 overall pick, but his well-chronicled struggles since then are a big reason the Bears' line faces so much uncertainty this spring.
As you probably know by now, Williams' first NFL start didn't come until 2009 -- and it was at right tackle. He started the final five games of 2009 and the first two games of 2010 at left tackle before the Bears moved him to left guard out of short-term desperation.
In what should sound alarm bells about Williams' future, the Bears still haven't decided where they want Williams to play in 2011. Presumably, that decision will depend on the draft and the results of free agency. You could be an optimist and suggest Williams offers the Bears valuable flexibility, or you could join me in skepticism and wonder if he is now an expensive utility man.
At the scouting combine last month, coach Lovie Smith seemed certain that Williams will have a defined role in 2011 -- at some position. But his full comment on the subject isn't something you want to hear about a former first-round pick.
"I'll just say that we have a few options, a few directions we can go," Smith said. "Chris has played both tackle positions, has played guard for us. Might've played little center in college. We don't have to make those decisions right now. We just know that Chris is a part of our future ... once we lock him in to a position, maybe the one he's in right now. [Offensive line coach] Mike Tice did a super job molding an offensive line this past year and I'm anxious to see as we continue to talk on exactly where we end up playing him."
To be fair, I'm not sure if seven starts at left tackle over three seasons is enough to determine whether Williams is a bust at the position he was drafted to play. It's also hard to attribute his position moves purely to performance; in each instance they were related to a larger plan.
In 2009, for instance, the Bears needed a second starting tackle and decided their best option was veteran free agent Orlando Pace. Rather than shift Pace from his longtime position on the left side, the Bears chose Williams. Last season, the Bears had more game-ready tackles than guards. So when Williams returned from a hamstring injury in Week 6, they determined they were better off with Frank Omiyale and J'Marcus Webb at tackle, and Williams at left guard, than with Webb on the bench and an unworthy guard -- be it Lance Louis or Edwin Williams -- on the field.
With all that said, if the Bears still consider Williams a future anchor to their line, they will lock him into a position soon and keep him there. The longer they hold off that decision, the less confident I will feel about his future.
Smith seemed to be indicating left guard as a real possibility, and I would be fine with that. The No. 14 overall pick of a draft is a little high to find your future left guard, but it would be far worse if it's where the Bears drafted a future utility backup.
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With all that said, if the Bears still consider Williams a future anchor to their line, they will lock him into a position soon and keep him there. The longer they hold off that decision, the less confident I will feel about his future.
Smith seemed to be indicating left guard as a real possibility, and I would be fine with that. The No. 14 overall pick of a draft is a little high to find your future left guard, but it would be far worse if it's where the Bears drafted a future utility backup.
just want the BEST 5 lineman out there, and do think Tice will do that and trust his judgements on Who/where each should play.. If williams is a LG fine by me.
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if we had a proper oline with depth C Williams would have been cut this offseason. But we are stuck with our prized LT. I think he should be playing LT no matter what this year and if he fails cut him. Musical chairs crap doesnt work developing a player. He is way too soft to play inside
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I think drafting a developmental LT to play behind him while we start him there, and completely rework the interior of this line is our best bet. There's no way he's gonna be any worse than OMG, who we're gonna be forced to keep for depth, simply because we've got no one else atm.
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Originally Posted by
motownbear 
if we had a proper oline with depth C Williams would have been cut this offseason. But we are stuck with our prized LT. I think he should be playing LT no matter what this year and if he fails cut him. Musical chairs crap doesnt work developing a player. He is way too soft to play inside
If we were to cut him then that would make Jerry Angelo look bad at drafting.
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Originally Posted by
motownbear if we had a proper oline with depth C Williams would have been cut this offseason. But we are stuck with our prized LT. I think he should be playing LT no matter what this year and if he fails cut him. Musical chairs crap doesnt work developing a player. He is way too soft to play inside
Like the player many wanted, branden albert or jeff otah( didnt play iat all in 2010 w/ a knee injury), none have lived up to their college hype and rankings. Disagree he should be cut, and do think if he was 1/2 as bad as some think tice would not have played him
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we played him cause we had no choice. If Webb can crack the starting line up anyone could that is how dire straits this oline is.
and what you just said brings up another point I made in another thread. This oline class coming up in this draft is overhyped just like the one where we picked our stalwart LT. I said then that draft was overhyped and it sure looks it right now
btw I know you like bringing up Albert allot but I thought he was moved back to his original positon-lg-and exelled.....
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Originally Posted by
4th and 26 If we were to cut him then that would make Jerry Angelo look bad at drafting.
he doesnt need him to look bad at drafting there are plenty of other examples. But it shows how bad of an oline we have that we got someone like this sticking with the team
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Originally Posted by
motownbear he doesnt need him to look bad at drafting there are plenty of other examples. But it shows how bad of an oline we have that we got someone like this sticking with the team
I know it doesn't take much to be a starter on the bears OL yet the Angelo homers keep making excuses for the guys that are currently on the team. Cutting him would mean that Jerry Angelo drafted another bust in the first round.
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Originally Posted by
motownbear we played him cause we had no choice. If Webb can crack the starting line up anyone could that is how dire straits this oline is.
and what you just said brings up another point I made in another thread. This oline class coming up in this draft is overhyped just like the one where we picked our stalwart LT. I said then that draft was overhyped and it sure looks it right now
btw I know you like bringing up Albert allot but I thought he was moved back to his original positon-lg-and exelled.....
actually albert played both LG and LT in 2010 and got hurt a few times acording to the KC website.. and personally if we adress the O-line in F/A this year with whoever you think of the 10+ good O-lineman( blalock,clabo,yemin,joseh etc etc) and instad went for a "3" DT at 30th instead of reaching for an Olineman left, i'd have Zero problem with that Either. And think the turning of peppers RB into a SB is IMO a sign that may be what angelo/tice are thinking also and freed up some space if decide to go that way.. Just hope a CBA can be done befre draft so not up in air all summer..
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