Antwaan Randle El Addresses Jameson Williams' Drop Issues
The Detroit Lions are hoping to get the best out of wide receiver Jameson Williams in 2023.
His sophomore campaign in the pros will be shortened, but he's hoping to maximize his potential when he returns to the field.
Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El is currently tasked with getting the most out of the youngster, starting with important reps during the team's offseason programs.
With all the external factors limiting the receiver in some capacity, his coach has been impressed with Williams' commitment to the game, even as he "weathers the storm."
"I don't have to motivate him much when it comes to ball," Randle El explained. "He loves the game, and wants to get better and works at it. But, the encouraging part, with all that's going on with the injury and now the suspension, it's just, 'Hey, you keep doing what you're doing, stay at it in terms of working hard.' This is just another stumbling block, you'll come out strong on the other side. Just encouraging him from that standpoint. He gets it, he understands it and it'll be well for him once we do get him back and get going, as it relates into the preseason and going into the season."
The Alabama product did not get the valuable offseason reps ahead of his rookie season. Now that he's healthy, he can participate in the workouts leading into the 2023 season.
This has given Williams a valuable opportunity to improve as a player and student of the game.
"From a field standpoint, just understanding the game. Like, last year, it was a lot of mental reps, getting prepared for when he did return and now he actually gets those reps," Randle El commented. "Now, he's running those routes, and now you can figure out, okay, this is what coach was talking about, why we can't give an extra move at the top of this route because of timing. Those things that he's trying to get, he's getting them better as we go. So, those are really the differences, as it relates to on the field."
Among the other areas Randle El is looking to see his young player improve is consistency with catching the ball. Williams caused some concern with drops throughout open portions of practice this offseason.
Detroit Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El
© Ryan Garza / USA TODAY NETWORK
Yet, the process remains an art he wants to master. The third-year receivers coach wants to see Williams focus on hauling the ball in and tucking it correctly to protect it from defenders.
"Really, at the end of the day, it's the intent of it. How am I catching it? And, in certain situations, that's what it comes down to. It's gonna look like that a little bit just because (they're) working on a couple different things to help him from that standpoint. But, he knows how to catch the ball. It's just like, not that you need to focus more here, but this needs to be caught and tucked this way, as it relates to catching and tucking the ball away from the defender."
Williams has also faced harsh criticism for his decision-making that led to the suspension. However, he has a former player who has seen the highs and lows of the league, in Randle El, vouching for him.
Given the unique perspective the former pro carries, he offered advice to the young wideout as he navigates the challenging start to his career.
"The whole character deal, it's like, you've gotta be who you're gonna be. You've gotta silence the noise from the media people, because if you spit the wrong way, they're gonna write about it. But, that's just part of it," the coach explained. "He understands that, and he's getting better at that like, hey, it doesn't matter, trust us, lean on us, and it's helping him. He's coming along and glad he's coming along. It's getting better, because we're gonna need him. That's how it is in a 17-game season, you need every guy."
