Expectations for quarterbacks at OTAs, minicamp more than they appear

Carmen Vitali

NFC North Reporter

Two things can be true: OTAs and mandatory minicamp can be vitally important for NFL teams.

But there can still be an overreaction.

We’re at the slow point of the NFL offseason where all there is to talk about is “practice” in t-shirts and shorts happening at facilities across the league. Reports come out about interceptions and mistakes, or even deep throws downfield and budding connections. 

The Chicago Bears’ fan base seems to be hanging on every tweet coming out of minicamp about their new quarterback, Caleb Williams.

But in reality, there’s not a whole lot we as outsiders can glean from what happens during the offseason. It’s all meant for making mistakes, for coaches to get evaluations and then to take all that information into the actual season.

So what is “progress” for a quarterback during this period of the offseason? As the captain of the NFL engine, what are the expectations for a signal-caller from an overall standpoint? Why is the offseason so vitally important?

To get to the bottom of it, I enlisted the help of coaches around the league and asked them what is the most important thing a quarterback should get out of minicamp. Is it grasping the playbook? Chemistry with the offense? Decision making?

The short answer is, all of the above.

–“Big picture, you can’t do any of the [things] mentioned without mastering the first,” one AFC quarterbacks coach told me.

–“And how the OC wants it called with the audibles,” added another NFC head coach.

–“OTAs is very important because that’s the start of it,” an NFC quarterbacks coach said. “All you’re doing is trying to see how they take it from the meeting room to the field … there’s different ways in how people learn. This time of year, you’re learning your team, you’re learning your players, you’re learning your coaches, what people do well, what they don’t do well.”

How dynamic will the Bears offense be this season?


Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/expectations-quarterbacks-otas-minicamp-more-than-appear

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Publish date : 2024-06-07 13:00:43

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