Meet Chris Williams: But does he have a big head?
Per KFFL.com, Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune says that Bears general manager Jerry Angelo isn’t worried about left tackle Chris Williams’ short arms. Wait. What?
According to Pompei, prior to the draft, some teams started to develop concerns that Williams’ arms were not as long as ideal. The average starting offensive tackle last year had an arm length of 33 15/16 inches. Williams has been measured anywhere from 32 7/8 inches at the Senior Bowl to 33 1/2 inches at the combine. The Bears say he’s an even 33.
What’s with all the fuss over mere fractions of inches? It appears a little overanalytical to us. Unless you consider that Denver Broncos first-round pick Ryan Clady, chosen two spots ahead of Williams, has an arm length of 36 3/4 inches. God damn, man!
The truth is that Williams is a finesse left tackle who’s light on his feet and any encumbrance that might occur from having “short” arms should be offset by his ability to slide his feet easily.
If anything is a cause for concern, it might be that Williams’ arms are different lengths. Pompei says one team, I’m assuming in a pre-draft workout, measured his left arm at 31 1/4 and his right at 33 1/2 inches.
Wow. 2 1/4 inches is quite the disparity. You could make a joke that defensive ends will run circles around Williams, but why bother.
Maybe they did the old “rub your elbow trick” before measuring the first time, lol
Good point, Superman. Never thought I’d ever write that sentence.