'It Just Didn't Work': Brad Holmes Explains Jamaal Williams' Departure

Brad Holmes reacts to Jamaal Williams' disappointment with contract negotiations.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes addressed at the league meetings former running back Jamaal Williams' frustrations with his contract negotiations. 

After spending two seasons in Motown, Williams eventually signed a free-agent contract to join the New Orleans Saints, after not being able to reach an agreement with Detroit. 

The 27-year-old veteran expressed at his introductory Saints media session that he felt his offer was "disrespectful," which signaled to him the team was not really serious about bringing him back.  

“Me and Jamaal had a good conversation at the end of the season about his desire to want to come back, and that was legit,” Holmes told reporters, via the team's social media channel. “When we left the combine, we had a conversation with his agent, probably like either right before or after I spoke to you there. Thought that it was heading in the right direction, and I love Jamaal."

After the team got a sense that Williams would not be accepting an offer, the front office pivoted and signed former Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract. 

“From a budgeting and planning standpoint of pre-free agency, we had an allotment of resources set aside, really for Jamaal. Didn’t really even consider another running back higher than that amount of resources that we set aside for Jamaal," said Holmes. "Business happens, and that’s part of this business. It just didn’t work. We tried, but when the market crystallized and it got to a point where David was in play, kind of within the range of resources that we had set aside, that’s when we went ahead and went forward with David, which we’re extremely excited about.”

Holmes indicated that he and head coach Dan Campbell often discussed Montgomery's game when the Lions played the Bears. 

"He’s a hard guy to bring down," Holmes explained. "I mean ever since college and Iowa State, he’s always kind of been at the top of force tackles missed. He’s just a hard guy, he’s a tough runner, he’s good in the passing game, he’s a good runner. He’s a great addition. But, definitely we tried to make it work with Jamaal, and it just didn’t happen.”