Bears Top Rookie Back at Practice

It looks like maybe the Chicago Bears just might get something out of this year's top draft pick after all. According to Profootballtalk.com, first-round draft pick Chris Williams fully participated in practice on Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. But don’t expect the rookie to get considerable playing time anytime soon.

For one thing, he’s a rookie with no preseason and very little training camp experience playing one of the more important positions on the team at left tackle. Also, he still has his good days and his bad, and the Bears would be wise to exercise caution in their handling of his condition and not try to rush him back too quickly.

Throwing Williams to the wolves probably wouldn’t be the best strategy anyway, and really isn’t a necessity considering the way the Bears’ offensive line has held up. Despite my thinking, based on the preseason, that the unit would be horrendous in 2008, they’ve actually been fairly adequate. Nothing spectacular, but nothing disastrous either. They really do a better job of run blocking than pass blocking, though.

And John St.Clair has been serviceable at the left tackle position despite resembling a turnstile at times earlier in his career (particularly when he was with the St. Louis Rams). In all fairness, the Bears have used their running backs and tight ends to help him out some, but for the most part he hasn’t been as much of a liability as many assumed he would be.

A back injury can be a delicate thing to deal with, so there’s no guarantee when/if Williams will be ready to go, let alone take over for St. Clair. Look for the Bears to try to work Williams in slowly when he’s ready, though, and hope he catches up with the speed of the game quickly. I wouldn’t expect too much out of him this year, considering all the practice time he has missed. The Bears, however, should consider themselves lucky that they might get something out of him this season at all.

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