Category: Trojans in NFL

Bears get high NFL draft grade for Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze picks

The Bears roared at the NFL draft in the home of the Detroit Lions.

The Chicago Bears hit not one home run, but two, at the 2024 NFL draft. They not only picked Caleb Williams at No. 1. They picked Rome Odunze at No. 9, giving Caleb an elite receiver to throw to on top of Keenan Allen, whom they acquired in free agency. The Bears have three quality receivers, a rarity for the franchise. Caleb Williams has a lot of resources to work with.

USA TODAY Sports NFL draft analyst Nate Davis has more on the Bears’ big night:

“To the surprise of absolutely no one, former USC QB Caleb Williams officially arrived with the No. 1 overall pick. But the acquisition of WR Rome Odunze at No. 9 arguably topped Chicago’s rebuild with the two best players in the entire draft. But there’s almost no argument that this team should be ready to win and contend this season, Williams with a chance to quickly emerge as this franchise’s best passer of the Super Bowl era (since 1966).”

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Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze are already best buddies with the Bears

Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze were giddy schoolboys after they learned they will play together in Chicago.

Caleb Williams will throw passes to Rome Odunze with the Chicago Bears. The NFC North team has to be ecstatic about upgrading dramatically at the quarterback and wide receiver positions in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears, if you know your NFL history, have been remarkably mediocre at quarterback throughout the past 70 years.

“(Sid) Luckman presided over the Bears’ greatest dynasty, winning four NFL championships from 1940 through 1946. The Bears won the 1940 NFL Championship Game 73-0 over the Washington Redskins, the most awesomely overwhelming blowout in NFL championship history. Sid Luckman authored that beatdown. Luckman is easily the greatest Bear quarterback ever, but to be more precise about it, he is the only great Chicago Bear quarterback of all time if we view Paddy Driscoll as more of a runner and multi-position player (halfback, kicker) than as a “pure” quarterback. It is Luckman who stands alone in the very long history of the Bears as an elite quarterback.”

Caleb Williams will try to be the second great Bears quarterback. Rome Odunze, who was picked by Chicago at No. 9 in the draft, could be the elite receiver who enables Caleb to thrive in the Windy City.

Bears Wire has noted that Caleb and Odunze have already hit it off. They looked like best friends on draft night in Detroit:

“Williams had long been the favorite to be selected by the Bears, but Odunze was not as much of a certainty. It was music to Williams’ ears, though, as the new Bears quarterback couldn’t wait to greet his new teammate while at the draft in Detroit.”

This could be the start of a beautiful friendship in Chicago.

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Caleb Williams tries to stand out from the crowd in more ways than one

All eyes are on Caleb Williams. Handling scrutiny and pressure become a bigger challenge for him now.

Caleb Williams has already stood out from other 2024 NFL draft prospects in one obvious way: He was the first player taken on Thursday night in Detroit. In that sense, the USC quarterback already stands at the head of the class. Now, however, comes the true test: Being the best not just in order of draft selection, but in terms of career quality. Williams now begins his journey with the Chicago Bears, as he attempts to forge a career which belongs with the other greats of the game. The hype is abundant. Now Caleb tries to live up to it.

The glitz and glamour of draft night were worthy of Caleb’s stature, as USA TODAY Sports noted:

“The 2024 NFL Draft prospects are putting their best (fashionable) foot forward in Detroit.

“Before teams hit the clock and draft their future stars, the NFL hopefuls kicked off the red carpet at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Thursday. Thirteen prospects were invited to attend the 2024 NFL Draft in person – including former Southern California star Caleb Williams, LSU alum Jayden Daniels and former Ohio State standout Marvin Harrison Jr. – and it’s safe to say the players made a statement just as they did on the field.”

Now comes the substantive test: Making that next statement on the field after resplendent college careers. Your move, Caleb Williams.

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USC’s Lincoln Riley talks about Caleb Williams’ character at NFL draft

Lincoln Riley knows what Caleb Williams is made of.

USC football head coach Lincoln Riley, on site at the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit, told Rich Eisen what Caleb Williams has in common with his previous No. 1 draft picks, quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

We noted how much of an imprint Riley has made on the NFL draft:

“Here’s a fun fact for you: USC and Oklahoma are the only two college football programs to produce back-to-back No. 1 NFL draft picks. Phrased differently: USC and Lincoln Riley have produced the only pairs of No. 1 NFL draft picks in the history of football. USC’s back-to-back No. 1 picks were produced in the late 1960s. Half a century later, Riley produced back-to-back top picks. It’s quite a story.”

Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray are the back-to-back No. 1 picks Riley coached at Oklahoma. USC and Riley truly do stand alone in the history of football in that regard. We will now see if Caleb Williams can rise to a level of stature and achievement which is higher than what Mayfield and Murray — two good but not great NFL quarterbacks — have done.

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Details emerge on Caleb Williams’ first NFL contract

Caleb Williams’ rookie contract will be more lucrative than Bryce Young’s 2023 contract.

The NFL draft continues, and it’s that time of year when we learn how much each pick on the draft board earns based on the current year’s salary structure in the league. The news for Caleb Williams is good. The USC quarterback obviously will make the most of any player in this draft class, given that he is the top pick, but the added details of his Chicago Bears rookie contract point to something more than being No. 1 in 2024.

USA TODAY Sports has more:

“Williams’ contract will be slightly more than last year’s No. 1 pick in Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. He signed a four-year deal worth $38 million with $24.6 million signing bonus.”

Williams’ contract isn’t dramatically more lucrative than Young’s 2023 deal, but it is a few hundred thousand dollars richer. Clearly, 2024 contracts will fetch higher dollar numbers than 2023.

Now comes the hard part for Caleb Williams: playing well enough to not only justify this first contract, but earn that lucrative second contract and receive kingmaker-level money in a few years.

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Amon-Ra St Brown earned every bit of his contract with the Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown was undervalued as a draft pick. The Lions made sure he will no longer be undervalued.

The news that Reggie Bush was getting back his 2005 Heisman Trophy dominated the headlines on Wednesday, but another very big USC football story emerged on that same day: Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a large contract extension which makes him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL and should lead to very big contracts for other receivers in the league.

Lions Wire offered analysis of St. Brown’s new contract:

“Per Spotrac, the new contract details show some cap creativity from the Lions. The deal is for $120.01 million over four years at the end of his current contract, which expires after the 2024 season. His salary cap hit for 2024 remains a relatively paltry $4.8 million.

“After that, the cap hits escalate quickly thanks to the $77 million in guaranteed money, which includes a $16.6 million signing bonus. Only the prorated part of the signing bonus gets tacked onto the Lions cap in 2024.”

St. Brown nearly led the Lions to the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He has dramatically improved the team and its offense. Keep in mind that St. Brown was a fourth-round NFL draft pick, a Day 3 selection. The Lions got a steal when they took him. They rewarded him for dramatically exceeding expectations. Every cent of this contract was fully earned.

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Will Caleb Williams be this year’s C.J. Stroud?

If Caleb has an NFL rookie season as good as CJ Stroud’s 2023 campaign, USC and Bears fans will be happy.

Will Caleb Williams be this year’s C.J. Stroud? This question is an interesting one to pick apart. Caleb Williams could be compared to Stroud in the sense that the USC quarterback has shown what he can be when he is at his best. We saw the best of Caleb Williams in his 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning season at USC. His performances in particular against Notre Dame, Utah (the October game), and in the Cotton Bowl versus Tulane were all top-tier performances. Stroud showed how good he can be in college in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game for Ohio State against the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Caleb-Stroud comparison takes on added dimensions when one realizes that Stroud quickly showed he was the best quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft class. Caleb is poised to become the best quarterback in his own NFL draft class, one year later. If Caleb has an NFL rookie season on par with Stroud’s 2023 rookie season for the Houston Texans, the Chicago Bears — and USC fans — will be very happy.

First Take debates this NFL draft question. Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo debate whether Caleb Williams will be this year’s C.J. Stroud.

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USC receiver Brenden Rice opens up in interview before NFL draft

Brenden Rice is about to find out if he can make a name for himself in the NFL.

USC receiver Brenden Rice was asked about a lot of subjects in an interview conducted before the 2024 NFL draft. Brenden Rice talked about being Jerry Rice’s son, playing with USC star quarterback Caleb Williams, and his evolving relationship with his mother. Part of this story explores his mom’s support.

“I did not have that father figure for a long period of time and she truly took over both roles,” Brenden said of his mother in a 2019 Cronkite News interview. “That is what I needed to go ahead and become the person I wanted to become in the long term and I am truly blessed to have her.”

Brenden continued, explaining that there was a time when they didn’t speak often, but now they talk a lot. “It truly has gone from, ‘Yeah we talk but nothing too close’ to actually being, ‘Hey, what’s up’ anytime throughout the day,” Brenden told Kay Adams.

Brenden noted that he also learned important lessons in leadership from his famous father. “There’s a lot that goes into leadership and being that role model, and I feel as though he presented himself as a perfect role model all his career and all his life,” Brenden Rice said.

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Carson Palmer is one of the ‘special six’ at USC

Carson Palmer will be mentioned a lot on draft night in 2024.

Former USC Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer has been elected to the 2024 Senior Bowl Hall of Fame. As we arrive at the 2024 NFL draft, it is worth noting that Palmer is one of the five USC football players who have been a No. 1 NFL draft pick. When Caleb Williams goes at No. 1 in 2024, that list will increase to six Trojans. USC would have more No. 1 NFL draft picks than any other school, a very special six in the history of football.

In terms of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, Palmer will join notable players such as former New York Jets defensive tackle Marty Lyons, former Houston Texans linebacker and current head coach DeMeco Ryans, former San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle, and former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White.

“Getting an invite to the Senior Bowl was one of the big goals I set for myself as a college freshman,” recalled Palmer. “It was a proud moment and I viewed it as the start of my professional career. Competing every day at Senior Bowl practices gave me an opportunity to see what my competitors looked like up-close and personal, while also showing me things I needed to continue to work on and develop as a player. I’ll always remember the great week I had in Mobile.”

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2003 NFL draft, Palmer was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. He appeared in 182 games with 181 starts in eight years. Palmer also spent two years with the Oakland Raiders (2011-2012) and five years with the Arizona Cardinals (2013-2017), whom he led to the NFC Championship Game in the 2015 NFL season.

At USC Palmer was a four-year starter (1998, 2000-02). Palmer set or tied 33 Pac-10 and USC total offense and passing records, becoming the league’s career leader in total offense (11,621 yards) and passing yards (11,818 yards).

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NFL scout says Caleb Williams is ‘most likely’ to become Hall of Fame player

One NFL scout assigns a Hall of Fame ceiling to Caleb Williams. We hope he’s right.

Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, James Jones and Jordan Schultz react to an NFL scout predicting former USC Trojans star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams being the “most likely” to become a Hall of Fame player in the 2024 quarterback class. The crew then discusses whether there is too much pressure on the former USC quarterback as he prepares to become the top pick of the NFL draft and then take the reins in Chicago with the Bears.

Here’s what one NFL analyst said about Caleb Williams:

“Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs.”

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