Roy Williams isn't going to lie. He's out of shape, and he's using Chicago Bears training camp to get back into form.
Williams said his top priority right now is conditioning, perhaps a surprising revelation when you consider he's with a new team and attempting to develop a rapport with quarterback Jay Cutler.
"(I'm) getting my wind right," Williams told Comcast SportsNet Chicago on Wednesday. "You have to be able to run in this offense. Run all day long."
Williams is set to replace Johnny Knox in the starting lineup, and the Bears are expecting big production from the former Cowboys and Lions receiver, who's familiar with the offense of Chicago coordinator Mike Martz from their two seasons together in Detroit. But is he in game-ready shape right now?
"Ooh, yeah ... about that. How many more weeks have we got?" he joked. After being told he had a couple more weeks, he smiled and added: "Yeah, I'll be ready by then."
Williams then made a statement with which Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice probably would take issue.
"I'm a firm believer in no matter what you do in the offseason, nothing will get you football ready except for playing football," Williams said. "That's what I believe. It's tough. You can run all the hills and mountains that you want to, but when you get out here and play for four seconds and jog back to the huddle, that's what gets you in shape."
Cutler is optimistic that his new target will be ready.
"Roy's definitely getting back into shape, taking more plays every day," Cutler said. "You can see more glimpses of Roy Williams each and every day on film. So hopefully by Monday, he'll be ready to go."
The Bears play their second preseason game Monday night against the New York Giants.
