Bears' Williams confident he can handle left tackle

The Bears drafted Chris Williams 14th overall in 2008 to be their left tackle of the future.

The future, it appears, is now.

With Orlando Pace missing his second straight day of practice Thursday, Williams again moved from right tackle to left, and he's expected to start there Sunday against the Rams at Soldier Field.

Williams started his final 24 games for Vanderbilt at left tackle, and he played a handful of snaps there as a rookie after returning from back surgery during training camp. But, after the Bears acquired Pace in the off-season, Williams was moved to right tackle, where he has started all 11 games this year.

"I was fine with that," Williams said. "Orlando's a great guy, a great player, a Hall of Famer. If you have a problem getting out of his way, then you just have a problem in general. I was happy to have him here. I learned a lot from him this year and I love having him around, so it was great."

Williams has had his struggles at right tackle, along with everyone else on the Bears' offensive line. At left tackle he'll take on the added duties of guarding Jay Cutler's blind side and being responsible for his well-being.

"His well-being will be just fine," Williams said. "It'll be fine."

As a Vanderbilt sophomore, Williams started nine games at left guard, protecting Cutler in his final season with the Commodores, when he was SEC player of the year and ninth in the nation in total offense. Cutler said Williams has to step up Sunday. "We don't have a choice," Cutler said. "Chris is going to be the guy. I'm confident in him. I know he's still learning out there. He's young. He's still picking up things, still kind of maybe working off that injury from last year a little bit. He's going to go out there and he's going to battle, and that's all I can ask from him."

Bears coach Lovie Smith expects more from Williams.

Smith, as usual, has been noncommittal regarding any lineup changes, but he said, hypothetically, that Williams could handle the move to left tackle.

"I think Chris would be able to make that change once he ends up moving to that position," Smith said. "Some day he'll end up being our left tackle here, and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be able to do it."

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner is counting on Williams, too. But he'll take his lack of NFL experience at the position into consideration, perhaps providing tight end help in pass protection.

"For the most part, we stick with what we do," Turner said. "But you're always aware of who's in there at all positions. You may do some things a little bit differently, but for the most part, we're going to run our offense.

"He's an athlete, he's a good football player, so he'll go in there and play and work hard at it," Turner added. "He'll do fine. That's where he figured he was going to be when he came in here."

Moving the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Williams to the left side also enables eight-year veteran Kevin Shaffer to play his best position, right tackle.

Shaffer started 47 games for the Browns the previous three seasons, including 31 at right tackle the past two years and 16 at left tackle in 2006. He was also the Falcons' starting left tackle for 2 1/2 years before that.

Shaffer was forced into a nearly impossible situation last week after Pace went down. He had to come in cold to face NFC sack leader Jared Allen, who picked up 2 sacks after Pace departed and several pressures before he left.

"It's tough going in like that," the 6-foot-5, 318-pound Shaffer said. "You've been standing around all game, you're getting cold and getting tight. But I'm thankful for any opportunity. I'm glad I had that opportunity but not glad for the situation, with 'Big O' getting hurt."

This week, Shaffer will have had a full week of practice with the first team.

"I feel great about it," he said. "It's something I've been working for all year, and right tackle's my position. It's where I've been for the last couple years."