Who Should I Start? Caleb Williams or Cam Ward

Tuesday, April 1, 11:47 PM

Chicago Bears new head coach Ben Johnson said the team plans to go "back to the basics" with quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his second year as a pro after a disappointing rookie campaign after he was the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft. "It's the fundamentals of the quarterback position: What's our footwork going to look like under center? From the shotgun? What are we calling the formations? What's the defensive identification going to look like? So that we're all speaking the same language," Johnson said. The 23-year-old will take more snaps under center during offseason workouts to gauge his comfort level. Chicago ran 70.8% of their plays from shotgun in 2024 (tied for 16th-most), but the Lions lined up in shotgun less than any other team under Johnson. Williams took a league-high 68 sacks last year, so using more play-action should help better protect him. On paper, the addition of Johnson should be excellent news for Williams' development.

Sunday, April 27, 3:15 PM

The Tennessee Titans have signed former Miami Hurricane wide receiver Xavier Restrepo as an undrafted free agent, reuniting him with his college quarterback and first-overall pick Cam Ward. Ward was reportedly a "major advocate" for the wideout, and the two will now get an opportunity to take their collegiate connection to the NFL field. Restrepo spent five seasons in Miami, but didn't break out until 2023 when he recorded an 85/1,092/6 line in 13 games. With the arrival of Ward the following season, the 23-year-old upped his TD total to 11, while notching more yards (1,127) and YPC (16.3) -- leading the Canes in every significant statistical category for pass-catchers. Whether he'll make his way onto the field in three WR sets remains to be seen. However, outside of teammates Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, his other target competition isn't too daunting.