For the second straight day, the Bears held a non-contact practice that was open to the media Thursday at Halas Hall. Here's what transpired:
Caleb Williams starred throughout Thursday's practice, displaying accuracy, touch and timing while spreading the ball around to numerous pass catchers.
The highlight of the day came in an 11-on-11 period when the Bears quarterback rainbowed a 54-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kalif Raymond down the middle.
"He can throw a great ball," Raymond told ChicagoBears.com. "I was just trying to go up and track it as best as I can because he's going to put it out there. He said something like 'dude, you're not going to overrun me, so just go.' It was a great ball."
After the TD pass to Raymond, Williams followed by connecting with receiver Rome Odunze on a deep out pattern and then hit Raymond on a crossing route. The speedy veteran turned upfield and raced into the secondary. Later in practice, he made a diving catch of a Williams dart over the middle.
Raymond, who signed with the Bears in March after spending the previous five seasons with the Lions, has seemingly already developed chemistry with Williams.
"It's just a matter of me being in the right spot for him," Raymond said. "This is his offense he's been in the last couple years. As long as I'm detailed in what I'm supposed to do—like all of us in the receiver room—he knows where to put the ball. We're just trying to make sure we're on our details because when he hits that last step in his drop, he's letting it go."
Williams also boasts an uncanny ability to elude pass rushers and extend plays.
"It's awesome, but it's also frightening because you have your timing of the play," Raymond said. "You have an internal clock, but with him, he can extend the play, and he can throw it anywhere on the field after he does, so you've got to be locked in from one whistle to the next with him."
In a 7-on-7 drill later in practice, Williams completed passes on four straight plays to Odunze on a deep cross, tight end Colston Loveland, Odunze on an out route and receiver Luther Burden III in the flat. In the final team period, Williams connected twice with Burden and once with Odunze.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent also had an excellent day. The fourth-year pro hit receiver Kaden Davis deep over the middle in 7-on-7 work and completed passes to Loveland, tight end Qadir Ismail, rookie receiver Zavion Thomas and receiver Maurice Alexander, among others, in team drills.
All in all, it was an impressive performance by the offense.
"We don't want any ball touching the ground at all," Odunze said. "We want to be explosive out there every time we touch the field. We want to be on our alignment and our assignments every single play. When we do so, we get the progress that we had out there today. There are going to be ups and downs. There are going to be days when we come off the field like, 'man, that was terrible.' You want to keep setting the standard higher and higher going into the season. But today was a good day for us."
Bringing good vibes
Raymond, a nine-year NFL veteran who worked with Bears coach Ben Johnson in Detroit, has been a valuable addition to the receiving corps.
"He's been great for us as a veteran in the room, just with his insight, being in Ben's offense for many years over there in Detroit—but also his receiver play, his details, his route running, his stride," Odunze said to reporters. "He's quick. You guys saw him today. He can get over the top of the defense. He's brought a very positive vibe to the room, very humorous as well. Vibes are up in the room and also skill as well with him."
Raymond has also brought a nuanced approach to route running to the Bears.
"He has the speed to run by folks, but he also has the craftiness to get in and out of breaks and veteran moves when it comes to the top of routes and different things that we like to look at," Odunze said. "Also, insight on different coverages as well. And taking care of your body, especially. He was the guy running 23 miles per hour on the other field during OTAs to make sure his stride is right, and he's ready to go. Seeing him and the years he's accumulated—and he's still playing—is very inspiring for all of the young guys. We are like, 'Man, we've got to get it, for sure.'"
Clarifying comments
Odunze raised a few red flags among fans and media in June when he described his recovery from a foot injury that hampered him last season as "my new normal." Some inferred that he would never be fully healthy again, but the receiver set the record straight Thursday.
"I really didn't articulate it well, honestly," Odunze said. "That's not really what I meant. I just kind of meant that I had an injury. That's it. That's football. My foot feels great. My foot feels amazing. It's not even really something that I think about anymore. I know 'new normal' has a bunch of connotations of chronic and severe, like it's never going to be the same. It's not like that at all. I'm completely fine. I went through my process of recovery and rehab, and it's been great."
