Shelton on center competition, progression of Caleb Williams |
LAKE FOREST, I.L. - One of the biggest headlines of training camp for the Chicago Bears thus far has been the center competition between Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates.
While Shelton is focused on getting the starting spot, he is letting the chips fall where they may by playing to the best of his ability. “I’m just (focused) on being the best player that I can be. That’s my goal and I’ve been in a lot of competitions in the NFL and the goal is just to go out there and compete against yourself, be the best player you can be and whatever happens happens. You can’t harp on it,” Shelton said. “It’s always a competition. You got to earn your spot every time you step on that field. So, it’s just a certain mindset you got to go out there with and that’s just the way it is.” Shelton and Bates have similar backgrounds and builds. Both are on the lighter side for centers with Shelton weighing 299 pounds and Bates weighing 302 pounds. However, Shelton is a more specialized player as he spent all of his first five NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams as a center. Bates, on the other hand, played at both of the guard positions during his time with the Buffalo Bills. “Bates is a great player. We’re in there together every day,” Shelton said. “We both come in at the same time and we’re helping each other out because that only helps the team out. So, we go in here, and we’re teammates. So, every day we’re in here learning together, and we’re working together, and we’re just striving to be the best we can be.” Since he spent his entire NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, Shelton primarily only played with quarterbacks Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford and, therefore, has not played with a rookie quarterback. However, Shelton is seeing the traits of a veteran in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams already as he continues to get better and is showing poise during training camp thus far. “He keeps progressing. He’s getting better every day, and that’s evident in terms of whether it’s just the run downs or just his talent, just throwing the football. So, it’s been fun to watch and fun to be a part of,” Shelton said. “His poise has been great. He comes in here willing to learn, willing to work with the guys. So, that’s all you can ask for. (He’s) just a guy who comes in and is ready to roll and ready to work … He’s done a great job of that.” There are a lot of things an offense, particularly the offensive line, has to adjust to with a rookie quarterback. One of those things is the cadence. Going back to organized team activities (OTAs), the Heisman winner struggled with the verbal cadence. That problem has continued in training camp, leading to multiple false start penalties. Other false start penalties have also been prompted by defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who routinely shouts “Move!” to get the line to jump. This is a problem that Shelton believes can be solved with increased focus. “For us, we just got to key into Caleb’s voice. They don’t sound the same. It’s just one startles you more than the other,” Shelton said. “So, you just got to lock into Caleb’s voice and expect it from the defense, know when they want to get to it, and that starts coming. (The) more we practice, the more we progress as an offense.” Going against an elite defense should help to improve the offense. At the line, the Bears are expected to have one of the strongest defensive lines in the league. Second-year defensive lineman Gervon Dexter is expected to play a big role in that. So far during training camp, Shelton has seen the tenacity and aggressiveness of Dexter. “He’s a good player. He’s long. He plays hard for (the) whistle. He’s the type of guy (who) never gives up,” Shelton said. “So, you got to really finish your block every time when you go against him. So, it’s fun to block.”
