Tag: NFL Scouting Combine

New details emerge about Caleb Williams’ meeting with Bears at NFL combine

The Bears met with Caleb Williams for the first time last Wednesday at the NFL combine. Albert Breer shared some new details from the visit.

The Chicago Bears are nearing a decision on a franchise-altering move at quarterback, where all indications are they will draft USC star Caleb Williams with the first overall pick and move on from Justin Fields.

The Bears got a chance to meet with Williams for the first time during the NFL Scouting Combine, the first of several meetings between them during this pre-draft process.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared new details about Williams’ meeting with the Bears last Wednesday night at the NFL Scouting Combine. The 10:40 p.m. formal meeting featured general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown, assistant GM Ian Cunningham and president Kevin Warren.

What they saw from Williams in that setting was an easy confidence, a player who was very comfortable in his own skin and not concerned much with what other people thought of him. That last part is key, because the Bears have tried to drill down on making sure the person they pick first can handle the pressure and spotlight of the Chicago market. Williams checked that box.

Breer noted the Bears planned to have Williams at Halas Hall for a Top 30 visit this Tuesday (right after the NFL combine). But Williams and Chicago decided to push it to after his March 20 pro day. The Bears will have Williams in the building for the entire day for the Top 30 visit, which will give them a chance to do medicals and make sure he’s a fit.

When that visit does happen, Williams will undergo a physical (he declined to take the part in medical testing in Indianapolis, which we’ll have more on in a bit) and have a litany of meetings. There, Chicago will make sure the fit is there, and that the chemistry between coaches and front office folks and Williams is apparent.

It sounds like the NFL combine was a big step forward for the potential union of Williams and the Bears, where the former Heisman winner shot down every red flag that had been brought up about him this offseason.

Possible Titans 1st-round pick Joe Alt shines in combine workouts

Notre Dame OT and possible Titans first-round pick Joe Alt turned some heads at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

If you’re a fan of the Tennessee Titans taking a left tackle with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the ideal selection in that spot would no doubt be Notre Dame left tackle, Joe Alt, who is considered the best prospect at his position in this year’s class.

Alt showed part of the reason why that is on Sunday during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, where he shined in both his measurements and on-field workouts.

The first thing that jumps out about Alt is his massive frame. This dude is standing at nearly 6-foot-9 and 321 pounds, and he has an arm length of 34 and 1/4 inches and a hand size of 10 inches — but Alt carries all of that well.

He tallied a 5.05-second 40-yard dash time, a 1.73 10-yard split and a broad jump of 9-foot-4. Further showing his impressive athleticism, Alt notched an unofficial Relative Athletic Score of 9.92 out of 10, the 12th-highest among offensive tackles since 1987, according to Kent Lee Platte.

As The Athletic’s Dan Brugler pointed out, Alt’s shuttle times were elite and comparable to a future Hall of Famer in Philadelphia Eagles right tackle, Lane Johnson, who Alt has 18 pounds on.

Alt also managed to reach a speed of 14.14 miles per hour within the first five yards of his 40-yard dash, which was the fastest of any offensive lineman over the past two years.

In case you were wondering, the Titans did meet with Alt at the combine, and he spoke about it in his media availability during the week, according to Jim Wyatt.

“It’s all been positive stuff,” Alt said of his combine meetings. “I met (with the Titans) and it was a great interview, a great meeting. I got to learn a little bit more about the organization. It was a great time.”

Alt still has to take part in the bench press on Monday, so his combine isn’t yet completed. However, if his earlier work is any indication, he’ll be great at that, also.

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Caleb Williams knows Bears would be good situation for him

There’s no better situation for projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams than the Bears.

The Chicago Bears are sitting with the first overall pick for the second conseuctive year, and all signs point to them using that selection to draft USC star quarterback Caleb Williams.

For all of the rumors that Williams didn’t want to go to Chicago — which he cleared up — the Bears would be a solid landing spot for a No. 1 overall pick.

As far as situations go, Chicago is the best case scenario for Williams. Typically, the team picking first overall was the worst team last year. But the Bears were a couple of blown leads from making the playoffs last season. They have an ascending defense and talent on offense, and Williams acknowledged the potential fit.

“I mean, the Bears were a 7-10 team last year, and that’s pretty good for a team that has the first pick,” Williams said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. “They’ve got a good defense. They’ve got good players on offense. It’s pretty exciting if you can you go into a situation like that.”

Chicago has a pair of first-round picks after trading the top selection a year ago — Carolina’s No. 1 selection and their own No. 9 pick. So the Bears can use that second top-10 selection to further build around a potential franchise player in Williams.

Not to mention, for someone like Williams who’s looking to make a lasting impression on the league, going to Chicago and winning a championship — while breaking the franchise’s quarterback curse — would be the perfect way to accomplish just that.

Every player the Bucs met with at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Check out all the draft prospects the Tampa Bay Buccaneers met with at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books, and just like every other team in the league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were busy all week meeting with some of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class in between their on-field responsibilities at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

While it’s true that most prospects meet with just about every team, it can still be a clue that a particular team is interested in a collection of players, particularly at positions where they have the biggest needs.

The Bucs only have six picks in this year’s draft at the moment (with a compensatory seventh-rounder likely being added soon), but that didn’t stop them from meeting with more than 100 players at this year’s event.

Here’s every player (that we know of) they met with in Indy this week (via Pewter Report):

Bears GM Ryan Poles sees similarities between Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams

Bears GM Ryan Poles sees the similarities between Patrick Mahomes and Caleb Williams as “artists” as quarterbacks.

Patrick Mahomes is always going to haunt the Chicago Bears organization. They passed on him in favor of Mitchell Trubisky during the 2017 NFL Draft. As you know, Trubisky was one of the biggest busts in Bears history while Mahomes is putting together a Hall-of-Fame resume that could lead to him being considered the greatest of all time.

Here we are again in 2024, and the Bears are still looking to get it right at that position. They have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, so they’re faced with a franchise-altering decision: keep Justin Fields and trade the pick or draft USC stud Caleb Williams.

General manager Ryan Poles, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs when they drafted Mahomes was asked about Williams at the NFL Scouting Combine. Poles admitted he did notice some similarities between Williams and Mahomes, which should be music to the ears of Chicago Bears fans.

“There’s pieces that are similar,” Poles told reporters this week. “Obviously, the one stands out to everyone is just different arm angles. That’s a unique trait, not a lot of guys can do that.”

We have seen Mahomes do whatever he needs to do to win. He can be a gamebreaker or he can be a game manager. Whatever the Kansas City Chiefs need from him, he can do it. If Williams has a similar way of delivering the football as Mahomes, he could be something special.

Poles pointed to co-director of player personnel Jeff King for helping him categorize quarterbacks in two different categories.

“There’s artists, and there there’s surgeons,” Poles said, noting guys like Mahomes and Williams are artists because of their creativity (surgeons are guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning).

“That’s where they’re similar,” Poles said of Mahomes and Williams.

For what it’s worth, Williams believes he’s both artist and surgeon — depending on the situation.

“I like to think that when it’s time to be surgical, it’s time to be surgical,” Williams told reporters this week. There’s been many games where it gets late in the game and I’ve ran or scrambled and threw a crazy pass. That’s being the artist, the magician. And there’s been times where even I hurt my hamstring and couldn’t run, I sat in the pocket the whole time the rest of the game and delivered the ball.”

We have seen this part of Mahomes’ game lead to multiple Super Bowl-winning runs. If being an artist is what they have in common, Bears fans have a lot to look forward to if Williams can translate it to the NFL.

UNC QB Drake Maye gives powerful sales pitch at NFL Scouting Combine

This was quite the line from UNC QB Drake Maye, who is seemingly oozing with confidence ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

UNC quarterback Drake Maye is not lacking confidence in the pre-draft process. He spoke to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero at the NFL Scouting Combine on what he brings to the table.

Maye is coming off a productive season for the Tar Heels. He threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2023. The Patriots met with the quarterback earlier this week, as they take stock of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. They also met with USC quarterback Caleb Williams and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels

Maye’s mobility and arm strength certainly bring a lot of intrigue to the table. He also wants to make it known that defenses will have a lot to prepare for when facing him, as he told Pelissero.

“Yeah, I can do it all. I think I’m one of the things where you know, I can really make a play with my feet, make a throw in the pocket,” said Maye. “And you really don’t want to game plan for me, you want to game plan with me.”

The Patriots may have the opportunity to select Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Teams will have to wait and see what he does on the field in order to make a full assessment.

One thing that’s clear from the get-go is his confidence.

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Kam Kinchens talks possibility of replacing Eddie Jackson with Bears

The Bears are in the market for a new starting safety after Eddie Jackson’s release. Could his replacement be his mentee, Kam Kinchens?

The Chicago Bears are in the market for a new starting safety following Eddie Jackson’s release earlier this offseason. Perhaps his replacement will be someone he knows well.

Kam Kinchens is among the best safeties in this 2024 draft class, and he was mentored by Jackson, as both played football in South Florida. As Jackson established himself as a Pro Bowl safety with the Bears, he crossed paths with Kinchens, who was getting his start at Miami.

“I know him personally,” Kinchens said of Jackson, via NBC Sports Chicago. “He used to train back down in Miami.”

When asked about the possibility of replacing his friend in Chicago, Kinchens said he’d call Jackson and pick his brain about making the transition to the pros.

“Ask him all the details,” Kinchens said. “Find the loop holes to the NFL.”

Kinchens has shown great instincts, ball skills and versatility that would allow him to excel in Matt Eberflus’ defense.

“I think my instincts. I think my aggressiveness,” Kinchens said about his best attributes. “I’m gonna have to learn how to control so I won’t be taking too many risks. But learning how to take risks and elevate – no bad plays. Just have those good to average plays and then you have those flash great plays.”

4 teams linked to potential trade for Bears’ Justin Fields

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there are four teams linked to a potential trade for Bears QB Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears were a hot topic of conversation during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine as the NFL world await their decision at quarterback.

The assumption is Chicago will move on from veteran Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. And there’s been no shortage of Fields trade buzz coming out of the combine.

According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, there’s no official deadline for a move but, as general manager Ryan Poles hinted, free agency is the soft deadline.

There are four teams expected to show interest in Fields, per Fowler — the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings.

The major quarterback domino that many are waiting to fall is Chicago’s Justin Fields decision. Chicago has not played its hand, and several league sources believe Fields — who has not requested a trade — could probably garner a Day 2 pick in a potential deal. There’s no firm deadline on a trade, though the start of free agency is sort of a soft one. Chicago will need multiple teams in the fray to drive a market, and after asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on the radar.

One team that’s been heavily linked to Fields for awhile now are the Falcons, where NBC Sports Chicago reported Atlanta had contacted Chicago about Fields this week at the combine. Later in the week, Tony Pauline reported the Bears and Falcons could be close on a deal.

Fowler reiterated there’s “plenty of smoke” when it comes to Fields and the Falcons. But Atlanta is also showing interest in free agents Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, so it doesn’t sound like a deal is imminent.

There’s plenty of smoke around Atlanta and Fields. Some around the league are wondering about the fit, thinking a Rams-influence offense under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson could target a Cousins-style quarterback, while others say Fields’ immense talent will be maximized in that scheme. As one league source put it, Atlanta has done enough work on Fields, Cousins and Baker Mayfield that the chances of coming away with one of them are fairly good.

Poles made it clear that he wanted to “do right” by Fields and get a deal done as soon as possible. While the goal was to have things settled before the start of free agency next week, things might drag on a little bit longer as the offseason quarterback market settles.

NFL Combine showcases why Packers won’t rule out drafting WR

Another deep class of wide receivers shows why the Packers might use another draft pick on the position.

Wide receiver is far from a positional need that the Green Bay Packers have to prioritize adding to this offseason. In fact, it’s at the bottom of the list–or close to it.

However, in a sit-down conversation with Larry McCarren at the NFL Combine, GM Brian Gutekunst said he wouldn’t rule out selecting a wide receiver in this year’s draft. We then saw why that was the case at the NFL Combine.

“No, not at all,” Gutekunst told Larry McCarren of Packers.com when asked if the receiver depth would preclude him from drafting more receivers. “And it goes back to the competition in every room. All those players did a really nice job in 2023 of competing and taking advantage of their opportunities, but 2024 is a new year, and they’ll need to do the same thing again and again.”

We then saw why that was the case for Gutekunst as the NFL Combine unfolded and confirmed what was already expected–this year’s wide receiver class is loaded.

From a pure athletic testing standpoint, 21 different receivers registered at least 8.0 on the Relative Athletic Score scale, which is important to note because, during Gutekunst’s tenure as general manager, 74 percent of his overall draft picks have hit that mark.

Of those 21 prospects, 18 were above 9.0. Nine different wideouts would run a sub-4.4 second 40-yard dash, with Texas’s Xavier Worthy running a record-setting 4.21 second 40 time.

In regards to film evaluation, PFF has 15 receivers ranked in their top 75 overall prospects. ESPN’s Matt Miller believes up to eight receivers could be selected in the first round this year–a record-setting number. While Packers Wire’s own Brennen Rupp could see as many as 20 receivers going within the first two days.

“We’re going to bring in players to compete with them,” added Gutekunst about the receiver position. “It is a strong room as we sit here today, which is exciting. But what they do from now until the middle of next season will determine that, so if we find the right players who we think can compete and add to our team, we’ll certainly do it.”

Coming out of the 2023 season, the Packers are obviously positioned quite well at receiver. On just about any given play, Jordan Love could get the ball to six or even seven different receivers, which ended up being one of the strengths of the offense.

Rather than defenses being able to key in on one or two pass catchers, they had to defend the entire field, resulting in better spacing and one-on-one opportunities.

The skill sets within this Packers’ receiver room are also quite diverse, with each player filling a specific role, allowing Matt LaFleur to get creative as a play designer and play caller. And with so much young talent on the roster, there is still more room for growth, not to mention that the only free agent on the roster after the 2024 season is Bo Melton.

However, even with all of that being true, competition last season played a crucial role in the overall development of this position group, and Gutekunst doesn’t want to lose that.

“I think the one thing that really came out of this season, that was evident,” said Gutekunst, “was that the competition within the rooms allowed us to grow and grow at maybe an accelerated pace. I think that’s the biggest thing.

“As we get into the very beginning stages of building this team and this team working together is having enough competition in all phases so that growth can be accelerated.”

Of course, there are more pressing needs than wide receiver for the Packers, but with five picks in the top 100, Gutekunst does have quite a bit of flexibility.

If there is an unexpected receiver available while the Packers are on the clock or if the best available player on their board is a receiver, Gutekunst can make that selection and still have four picks – plus whatever happens in free agency – to address more pressing needs. The key will be adding someone with a skill set not already accounted for.

2024 NFL Scouting Combine: fantasy football recap

Recapping the noteworthy combine performances from a fantasy football perspective.

Historically, this article would have been deemed “winners and losers” of the NFL Scouting Combine, because teams placed more emphasis on whether players participated in workouts and the like. In recent years, none of that has made any significant impact on draft placement nor a team’s willingness to throw a rookie into the fire.

Case in point: Last year, reports about C.J. Stroud scoring poorly on an intellectual evaluation created raucous reactions among the pundit class that didn’t translate to his placement or ability to dominate in his inaugural season.

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to accurately gauge a prospect’s rookie fantasy football value without knowing where he will land. Nevertheless, we’ll recap the key performances from this year’s scouting combine to see what we can learn.