Reacting to Caleb Williams', NFL rookie QBs' preseason debuts | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

there is an understandment that it is preseason that you know everybody's not going to show their looks and you know what they would do versus and vice versa um but um it it definitely is you know it definitely feels good um to get out there last time I was out there on the field other than practice was November 18th and it's you know you go that long without something um it's it's it's tough uh but know it's been great the guys have made it fun um they made it easy on me um talking about our talking about our other players um they've been they've been great um from the beginning to now Caleb Williams finished at USC by way of Oklahoma that Red River rivalry something snuck across the Texas water there we don't do English that well we do football well understandment I love it that's a great s simsons right there you knew what he meant too that's what's even better that's where you that's what I really like it I go yeah that's not right but I understand what you're saying you had a great understandment use of the term understanding and that's the thing your best ones are the ones where you know we know it's wrong but it kind of makes sense and sometimes it makes so much sense it's technically right even though it sounds wrong so uh who was right and who was wrong for the first week of the pre-season we saw the first round rookies play let's start with Caleb Williams he had two Series against the Buffalo Bills 4 for s95 yards a 101.8 passer rating what did you see what did you like what did you don't like from the first overall pick in the draft what's not the like I mean he's the natural man he really is I mean right from the GetGo I don't know what you know whether you want to talk about the the first third down completion to the left I mean his first time he's going to have to make a real NFL throw it's like oh great it's third and 13 they know I'm going to throw here comes the pass rush right his ability to hang in the pocket and be patient and work the pocket to me was what really jumped out about him in his game at USC he's special that way he has that momes Josh Allen patience when even the pocket collapse he goes he's like oh wait no it's not totally collapsed I I I can hang in there a little bit more I don't need to run out of here yet and then of course you see the move the feel right I mean the feel on not only running and scrambling the little like screen pass he threw to DeAndre Swift right where he just kind of threw it out of his ear hole as he was wait the pressure got there a little quicker right so that the throw on the run when he was running to the right hitting Cole KD I know we're going to see all these highlights eventually here but I mean incredible movement incredible patience incredible command at the line of scrimmage I saw him changing plays not just check check check to the other play but like changing it and then the arm jumps off the TV screen I was watching with my son and when he made the first few throws we both looked at each other and went whoa whoa like that was a you know that was a rocket that was a laser uh very impressive for Caleb Williams one of the first things that I look for number one do they pass the eyeball test do they look like they belong when they're in an NFL uniform out there on the field and obviously he does but number two number two does he have an understandment of what it takes to stay healthy in the NFL and those plays we just showed if we can rack and recue on the first one he's in position to throw a block and he just doesn't he knows there's nothing to be gained it might look good it might go spiral I might put this guy on his ass cuz he doesn't expect but you know what I'm just going to stop right here because there's no there's no benefit to me of doing this because with each hit I take each hit I absorb there's a chance I'm going to get injured and then look at the presence of Mind how many quarterbacks over the years have we heard oh he's too competitive to slide he doesn't know how to slide look at that he knows get your ass down get because why because why it's not a matter of cowardice or courage it's a matter of smarts the more you get hit the more likely you are to get hurt so avoid contact he and that that is that was you know early Kyler Murray we saw that he he got he kind of strayed away from it I think maybe he got frustrated he wasn't getting the results that he wanted but that is smart and that's what you want if you're a Bears fan and you want to know that you're GNA have Caleb Williams available as much as possible those two things I'm just pointing out stopping short oh I stopped short on the uh on the Block and doing the slide just like boom like he's been playing for 20 years that to me is very encouraging because that tells me my guy's going to be available more often than not yeah that that's where again I think he's just he's a natural at the position he's got great feel for it he's all in on it like we've talked about he's a gym rat right you hear the murmur and things see to me that that's where I'm big into this too you you hear things out of Chicago about o wow oh wait dude Caleb Williams oo uh e oh my gosh so those things to me mean something we we've seen that in years past we heard that buzz of Mahomes and Josh Allen we've had other ones where we can go wait this guy was a top 10 pick and nobody said diddly squat about him the first month when he was in training camp that does say something Caleb Williams has jaw-dropping talent I we didn't even got good highlights there I don't know what the hell we just showed there we showed a three yard throw in the flat G Gary what the hell did you pick up for flat highlights Gary I mean he threw a laser 40 yard down the field to go take he threw you what's the word coming to I know Gary is his first time I'm going at him here but I mean Caleb Williams is my guy I put him in his own Stratosphere for my draft rankings and all that we're going to show him throw the ball in the flat and Scramble for nine yards geez Lise not everybody's at a training camp for him as you could tell here the first day back at PFT uh but you know what and I I I had no idea what we're were going to show I was just encouraged by what I saw there and it's that that presence of mind that lack of ego the will and and that ability because that's we there I get so sick of that excuse he's just competitive he he just he wants that extra yard he can't you know he that's all he no that's stupid that's stupid because oh I gained that extra yard and now I'm out for six weeks because I broke my forearm diving for the extra yard so that to me I'm always looking for things what should I worry about what should I feel good about if I'm a Bears fan I feel pretty good about the fact that my quarterback is smart enough to keep himself in one piece and we know he's got the skills I mean you and I were both hey maybe they should keep Justin fields and trade that pick and make the team better and then we meet Caleb Williams and you studied Caleb Williams film where we're both like yeah sorry sorry Justin sorry Caleb's pretty awesome sorry buddy number one pick yeah he he looked apart and that's what you want at your number one pick right you know your number one pick you wanted to be not only like hey wow we got a guy that loves football and all that but it's hey wow this guy's got some special attributes about what he does right here oh look at Gary coming in the clutch he's about to show it to us look at this throw right here Mike this is Mahomes Josh Allen stuff okay I mean that's from his own 35 to the other 35 on the run right 30 yards down the field and he doesn't throw the ball any higher than ket's shoulder pads for 30 yards on the Run that's that's rare those those are rare throws and there's only a few people in football that can make a throw like this with this type of ease and effort and just put the ball in the money that way and that's where I'm really excited to see Caleb Williams and I'm excited for the Bears in general because I think they got a damn good roster and right before he makes that throw he does the pump to freeze the rush buy himself time so the guy can't hit him so this is back to my narrative the guy can't hit him right after he throws the ball so he gets just a little more he knows he's going to make the throw and he doesn't have to worry about that guy cuz he froze him with the pump this you know I I know that Bears fans are hesitant because it's been so long since they've had an offense to feel good about but man so far so good check one box Caleb Williams looking the part and and now we know uh clearly if there was any doubt why they moved on from Justin fields and went with Caleb Williams all right Jaden Daniels the no-brainer number two right guy that some thought maybe could maybe even better I still think back to the scouting combine and all those SEC defense players who the toughest guy you ever faced Jaden Daniels Jaden Daniels Jaden Daniels he had one drive against the Jets at MetLife Stadium two for three for 45 yards a rushing touchdown and a quarterback rating of 109.2 it's hard with one drive it's hard but but what did you see what did you like what did you not like if anything it's like what you say right you just want to look do they pass the Look test right do they look comfortable does the ball come out of their hand in a way where you go oo that looks different right here's the throw of the day first first off I mean he's just he is comfortable he has presence on the field he plays tall and big even though he's skinny and you saw that throw right there I mean that was on the money to dami Brown like literally dropped it in his pocket against very good coverage by the Jets Defender and this is the other element he's going to bring to the table here I mean they're going to have a real threat with the quarterback run game and yeah I mean it wasn't a lot right but enough to go okay that guy belongs yep that's why we took him and to your point Mike like like we talked about a bunch in the spring I think in most years he is the number one pick in the draft it's just that the guy in Chicago is that special and he's about one of the few guys over the last decade that probably you know o overtake a Jaden Daniels in the draft that way talk about a blast from the past dami Brown is it possible Jaden Daniels could turn dami brown your guy my guy right turn him into turn him into something in what year four yeah I think it's four it is I believe it's four yeah I don't know he was one of the guys taken before Alan ra St Brown yes yep yeah well he he remembers if you haven't heard Alan Rod knows remembers all of them know all of them yeah all right so uh again we'll probably see more from Jaden Daniels before the season starts but hey for the commanders similar to what the Bears are going through just should we really feel good about this all these years of dysfunction could it be that simple that we have one Bad season and we get a guy right place at the right time who comes in and transforms the franchise and maybe the answer to that question is absolutely positively yes okay let's skip down to pick number 10 the Vikings traded up one spot to get their guy in JJ McCarthy they've been sending out the signals that Sam darnold is going to be the starter he started the preseason game in came McCarthy there was an early interception that he Shrugged off six series 11 for 17 188 yards two touchdowns that pick that I mentioned 11 16.8 passer rating what' you see from JJ hey I mean all these guys they're Naturals that's what I like they can play the position right you talked about the interception okay threw an interception it's one that you can live with he didn't make a bad decision he was on the Run running to the right and he just threw the ball behind the guy a little bit but man a lot of high level throws one comfort in the off offense you can see again here was one of his first third down throws or one of his first aggressive throws of the day over the middle working the pocket stepping up right doesn't panic and run like a young guys does sets up again throws a laser down the middle here's great feel and touch right down on a Crossing route something I need to see more of cuz I know he can throw the fast ball it's the touch little lob balls over linebackers and things like that that he's got to get better at but the athleticism right but to me the thing that really does jump out is his ability to push the ball down the field and how powerful his arm here like you see here a little double move on the outside and I mean he throws the ball 45 yards in the air like it's nothing right I mean all look good for JJ McCart the man does he fit that offense that you guys got out there in Minnesota and the amount of reps he's got I know he's not the starter yet and Sam darnold's not the starter yet but the fact that he was that comfortable looked that good and they got him that many throws I still think it's going to Trend if he plays like this continually throughout the preseason where they'll just go well let's just start him week one he's ready he can do it well and as we've said all along they've got a coach who could take any pretty much and and and turn him into a quarterback that can for a week or two yeah produce like Josh dos like Nick Mullins and now you've got guys that have more physical skills at the top than any of the backups that they were sifting through last year after Kirk Cousins was injured so why not go with the guy that you have faith in why not let him play and let the game slow down and Kevin oconnell will know how to protect him know how to you know it's yeah it feels like you know this is one of those we don't want it to look like the guy was handed anything exactly we want him to earn it we want the teammates to think he's earned it Sam darnold's got that arm he does he's got some Talent with two years ago when Kenny picket was in the draft class and the possibility of the Panthers taking him you said yeah what's going to happen the first day when picket shows up and he's you know throwing these pop gun passes and darnold's ripping it through the air the players are going to be like darnold's better so you've got to go in and prove that you are as good or better than darnold and maybe maybe that's what McCarthy can do between now and 27 days from now when they open the season against your New York Giant the Gman yes yes I yeah I I mean hey we we I would like to see that rookie out there you know maybe we get a rookie interception or two or something like that but and then maybe he overcomes it and maybe throws lasers or touchdowns right we lose yeah that that that would be the worst case scenario as a Giants fan but either way I think things look good for JJ McCarthy and where they're trending and yes I think if he continues to play like that through the preseason they will make him the starter because of all the reasons you explained plus he's mature he knows how to play the position and we know he can move and and he's got a a big time NFL arm so I I was impressed I really was next up we're going to skip down again we'll get back to Patriots fans don't don't get we didn't forget about we're going to we're going to we're going get back there for now the 12th overall pick the Broncos quarterback Bo Knicks they're you know they're doing I think the same thing there make the kid earn it Jared stum Zack Wilson work your way up the depth chart uh five Series yesterday for Bo knck in his first NFL game 15 for 21 125 yards a touchdown pass 102.3 pass rating all of these guys were over a 100 passer rating in their preseason debut what did you like from Nicks they all can play quarterback Mike that's why I kind of fell in love with him during that draft process we talked about it so much it wasn't just o he has this physical attribute it was like no wait wait this guy can do it all at the position Bo Knicks to me other than Caleb Williams would be the guy that I'd go he won the weekend right as far as the rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy was phenomenal Jaden Daniels was phenomenal b mix made so many quarterback type of plays right and it does have Mike to your point the same feel of the JJ McCarthy thing like hey stum hey Sam darnold hey get out there oh guys you guys look pretty good all right get them out we got to get the guys that we think are going to be the starters here and get them some real reps that's what it felt like watching Denver yesterday and it feels like watching B Nick said I'm watching Drew Brees Jr with a little bit bit more maybe more athleticism to his body but that's what it's like these throws right here I know this isn't like a wow down the- field throw but the the ability and how quick he can get the ball out of his hands and throw it accurately and then his ability like we talked about in the draft process to scramble and run it's topnotch he is a playmaker behind the line of scrimmage extending plays and of course we know like you just said with okell Shawn pyton knows how to protect these guys make them look good play to their strength it just feels like it's going to be bo nicks's show sooner rather than later and he was really impressive yesterday I mean really impressive this is a new situation for Shawn pyton because he hasn't had a rookie quarterback that he has thrust right into The Fray yeah Drew Brees came to him after four years with the Chargers and then you know post Drew Brees I mean he was only there like one year post Drew Brees so it it you know this is the for the first time in all these years that Payton's been a coach and really back to uh when he was a coordinator I can't think of him in in a situation where no first year rookie quarterback get him ready for week one but it feels like that's what he's doing and now we see why he liked it so much and why I think they probably were very happy that he managed to trickle through the first 11 picks and be there when pton and the Broncos had pick number 12 yes he you you could tell he could process things quickly right his release is lightning quick right it fits the Shawn Peyton ability to throw short intermediate offense find people open all the time and one of the things that I do notice too is I mean his ability to run and scramble like we talked about it's very real and Shawn Peyton we know you know he can Infuse some tesm Hill type of plays in there for a quarterback like this I'm not saying he's got to run up the middle and put his shoulder down against a middle linebacker but like we saw with Jaden Daniels B Knicks is going to be capable of wait we fake the run up the middle and if you're too aggressive I will keep it around the edge and go run for 30 yards so that's what you really like really good showing and yeah in Minnesota and Denver it felt like get the starters out there there okay they look pretty good but now let's get the real starters out there and let them get some work and get ready cuz I think these two are are going to be you know playing sooner rather than later so now we Circle back to Thursday night when the Patriots were hosting the Panthers as expected jacobe Bret starts they've been creating the expectation that Bret's going to be the guy this year for the Patriots at least until I don't know they're out of contention and it's time to go ahead and get Drake May ready but but may came in and played one series Y and then he was gone as quickly as he arrived when Bailey zappy came I felt bad for Bailey zappy because they booed and I don't think they were booing Bailey zappy they were booing that they only got a tiny little of Drake May they're there to see Drake May what the hell is this one drive and he's out two for three for 19 yards where the hell is the guy that that you've made the number three overall pick in the draft we want to see we want to see if you got something that's going to keep us coming to these damn games over the next 10 years well yeah so I I thought I thought that again I felt bad for Bailey zap because I don't think it was about him I think it was about what the hell where's Drake May Yeah well yeah I think you're right I think it was there too and to to pile on there or to add to that what the hell in general all together what the hell like the reason we put this last because this was the weirdest of all the first round quarterbacks and what was done I mean we just talked about McCarthy and Bo Knicks got extensive reps right they're not the starters yet but extensive reps Caleb Williams is the starter they've already seen enough they don't need to know so they got him two drives well right down the field boom boom boom get him out he's good we know that great Jaden Daniels the same type of thing they know he's the starter and he's the man we know Drake May needs work this is what everybody's talked about right there's things about his game that need polish I think it's really weird it's odd to me that they threw him out there for a quick drive where he really only threw one real pass he threw a curve a curl to the right side and he kind of threw it off Target but where I'll say it's weird Mike and I just throw the challenge flag out there we saw the extensive reps and stuff everybody else got wait wait that was like they put him out there like look he's our backup quarterback all right get him out before we he shows us any anything bad we don't want the fans to start booing him and us going what the hell did we do with the number three pick get him out of there what what that made no sense that to me that showed me that they maybe were hiding him to a degree and the fact that you let Joe Milton play more than your number three pick in the draft that that's weird I don't understand that and that to me would tell me with my NFL Spidey senses that they're a little scared of what Drake May might look like out on the field right now the justification given in the aftermath of the game by head coach Gerard Mayo was they wanted May to only play play behind the starting offensive line they didn't want him out there behind the backup offensive line now McCarthy and nicks they would to have a starting offensive line they're they're playing deep into the game they don't have the number one off a drive I think a drive or so yeah yeah but that was they they did one drive with May because that was the last Drive of the starting offensive line and then it was zappy for a long time and then Joe Milton for a long time and the thing is MIL had moments that got people excited that's what he's been doing Mayo was even asked about that hey are you ready for the talk radio Buzz right I mean Mayo was asked about it with Milton and it's like well I don't listen to that stuff well maybe you should because you're going to have Patriots fans in the aftermath of Thursday night's game saying hey there may be something and they know a little something about a six round pick supplanting a guy who was taken at the very top of the draft yeah a little bit they definitely do I mean again yeah you know those those are things we've continually heard you you know since they've drafted these two quarterbacks Joe bton has opened up eyes people watching practice people on that team whatever he opened eyes the other night how could he not he's a specimen he's got a rocket launcher for an arm and he can really run and he showed that a little bit late in the game uh against the Carolina Panthers but yeah I just thought that was odd with a guy that we know is raw and needs work and we're not going to put him out there and let him have work those are signs that would tell me and my my history of playing people I know whatever that it's like oh we're not sure what he's going to do yet we don't trust him we don't know how good it's going to look or bad it's going to look so let's just get him out there so everybody can see oh yeah he's our backup but let's get him out of there before you know anything bad happens and people start to go wait why did you pick this guy number three or why is he playing or whatever else and that's what it had the feel of for me when I was watching Mike I think back to 1994 when Washington took he Scher fourth overall and then picked up Gus for rot in round seven yeah 2012 Washington takes RG3 trades up pick number two takes K cousins round four do you really help your starter your guy that you're trying to anoint when you also draft that same year another quarterback who isn't you know from a skill standpoint from a different planet it's not like JV and varsity they're they're guys that performed well enough in college to make it into the draft doesn't I mean there's already enough pressure on Drake may there's already enough expectation on Drake May so then you have another guy who's in there and you know what he's very loose and he's very engaging and he's got a very infectious personality and people like him and you're going to have people rooting for him like you're you're setting your guy up to fail they're putting more clearly clearly they wanted Drake may they could have traded that pick to the Giants that's one of the things we learned from offseason Hard Knocks they could have traded to the Vikings they wanted to go up and get Drake May so you undermine your guy by adding another quarterback who's going to come in and just be kind of loose and he's got the physical skills and oh you know what look at this he's developing those skills he's getting more accurate he's becoming a better player he's learn and and that is just going to make it harder for your guy that you're trying to anoint to to take the anointing I agree he's going to be all freaked out because this other guy everybody likes him and everybody's rooting for him and everybody's behind him and it seems like all things equal if Joe Milton can harness his skills maybe he's got the higher ceiling well there there's parts of me that think you know Hey Joe Melo needs some work throwing the football and all that it's not consistent but as I tried to tell people before neither is Drake may now it's not as inconsistent as Joe Milton but it's not that far off it's not and you kind of saw that like I was trying to allude to that one curl throw he throw to the right he's got some mechanical deficiencies that have to be fixed and I still saw it in the game the other night to where he threw that throw I'm I'm alluding to and I went oh man that was that was all the things I talked about in the draft it was kind of segmented this weird pull away of the football all that and the ball wasn't accurate but I don't know where it goes Mike and I think your Point's very real it puts more pressure on the player and the situation in general you know it is a guy that's yeah he's young he's raw we know he's got some physical gifts but you got another guy and he's going hey wait I'm the number three pick everybody should be happy about this but yet wait there's another guy that was picked you know on the two days later and everybody's kind of thinks he's cool and they're happy about him too it it it takes the luster off of him a little bit and it does put more pressure and yeah I think it's a kind of an odd situation up there in New England right now you you lived it I didn't I've just been covering it for nearly 25 years confidence I believe is so critical to the performance of a quarterback you need to exude it others around you need to sense it it builds on itself right so and Drake May seems like a great guy but of all the quarterbacks we talked to at the scouting combine he didn't really oo the confidence that the others did correct me if I'm wrong no I think you're right his Charisma was not on the level of of the other guys that crutch that crutch that he still has of saying yeah as the first word out of his mouth when he's asked the question that needs to go because when I see that and hear that what it tells me is man he's he's not as sure of himself as he needs to be so how's he going to become more sure of himself when you've created a situation not intentionally but accidentally where there's a guy behind you who's developing the confidence who maybe is figuring out how to play in the NFL faster than you're putting more pressure on you there's already enough pressure on these kids that's what I don't understand why would you draft a quarterback in a later round the same year you draft the guy who's supposed to become your franchise quarterback that makes no sense to me and we've never seen that work except for the fact that the guy who gets drafted second ends up being not so bad that's and that's a hell of a strategy let's go I me I don't think anybody's going into it saying all right here's what we're gonna do we're gonna take a quarterback high and then the other guy's going to develop into the guy who plays I don't think anybody's leading with that so I feel bad I feel bad for Drake may I feel bad for the Patriots if this if this tracks and there's no guarantee Milton's going to work out my point is it's going to make it hard for the guy that you want to work out that you need to work out to become the guy he needs to be agreed I'm with you there 100% and we'll see and maybe you know Drake May will go out there this next week and play great and shut me up and all of that and I'll certainly give him his praise if he does that but it's definitely one or a situation right now that I I got my eye on a little bit definitely different than any other other the other situations we sawed the first round quarterbacks and it's a number three pick and like we talk about it all the time the number three pick you want to to come in and like you know blow the doors off the franchise like everybody's oh my gosh we killed it we got a guy that is a baller and I don't get that sense right up right now at least in New England with with that with that pick La last Point look the entire organization is resetting post Tom Brady and Bill bich and they're trying to find their way and I don't know do they outsmart themselves Elliot wolf didn't have the job permanently when he was making the draft picks is he trying to prove you know I I'm some great evaluator of talent and hey this is the best guy on my board right now I'm taking the best guy on the board they always tell you to trust your board Joe Milton's my best guy that's who I'm taking when we're on the clock instead of saying wait a minute let's project how this could go if we have another rookie in Camp who might take away from the guy that we need to properly cultivate into a starter I just they're in a tough spot this is the reality we knew we were going to be here one of these days where Brady's gone bich che's gone and the Patriots have to find their way and they might have outsmarted themselves by taking that that second quarterback because it may make it harder for the guy that they need to develop to get to where he needs to be hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk