"One probably figured Bears rookie Chris Williams was a little bit nervous Tuesday as the midnight deadline for players to report approached with Williams unsigned.

Such was not the case.

"Nah, I was asleep at midnight," he said. "I left it up to my agent [ Bill Johnson]. I trust my agent a lot, and I knew we'd get it done. He called me and got it done."

Williams, the first-round pick and left tackle out of Vanderbilt, signed a five-year deal shortly before practice started Wednesday, staying true to his promise that "holdout" was not in his vocabulary. The total value of his contract is $16 million, with $10 million guaranteed, according to an NFL source familiar with the negotiations.

With the business side taken care of, Williams is prepared to show he's capable of stepping in as a starter. Although John St. Clair ran with the first team at left tackle Wednesday, it appears only a matter of time before Williams assumes that role. But he's humble enough not to take anything for granted just yet.

"We all know that the best guys are going to play," he said. "They're not going to just play me just because I got drafted where I got drafted. We're all working toward the same goal. This is a team thing."

It was important for Williams to be there from Day One, regardless.

"You can't miss days of practice, especially as a rookie," he said. "I didn't want to fall behind at all, even though we've done some of this stuff in [organized team activities]. Every day I get out here and get on the field is going to make me better.""