ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams is making the most of an opportunity to get much-needed snaps in training camp after an injury-shortened rookie season and before a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Williams missed training camp while coming off ACL surgery in 2022. He played in the final six games with one catch for 41 yards and a touchdown.
He could see plenty of action in the three preseason games, starting Aug. 11 at home against the Giants.
“We’re going to douse him with a ton of game reps. He needs that, as he does practice,” coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “But man I’m telling you, as with anybody, the more reps he gets, the more time on task, the more consecutive practices and reps he can put together he’ll just grow.”
Williams missed four days of camp with a leg injury. In his first padded practice on Monday he had three drops during team drills, but on Wednesday he bounced back. Jared Goff connected with him deep as he beat cornerback Cam Sutton in seven-on-seven drills. After the catch he threw the ball straight up in the air to celebrate.
Campbell said it’s not an excuse, but Williams has not had much practice since he was drafted out of Alabama in the first round in 2022.
“We have to work on his hand mechanics. He has to work on them pre-practice and post-practice. He just has to grind on it,” Campbell said. “Even then it’ll never be probably like one of these elite pass-catchers that you’ve seen, but it will be just fine with his speed and what he’s able to do.”
Williams, showing his fiery side, took a swipe at cornerback Starling Thomas during a drill on Monday.
“It’s just practice, things get rowdied up, things happen. We talked it out,” Williams said.
He also threw a nice block on a run by running back Jahmyr Gibbs on Monday. Williams said offensive coordinator Ben Johnson told him on Sunday, “No block, no rock.”
Williams said he does not feel a sense of urgency, but he has to get work in before he must stay away from the team.
“I told him this back in spring, you want to feel like at the end of camp there’s a level of polish and the splits, the route depth. You want to begin to feel like there’s a lot of polish to details and then he’s got this pretty good rapport with Goff by the time he leaves,” Campbell said. “If we can get there I don’t think it will take very long to pick it back up once he gets back.”
NOTES: TE Shane Zylstra was waived injured after he was hit low by DB Khalil Dorsey during Monday’s practice. “We’re not OK with that, and it has been addressed,” Campbell said. ... Detroit signed Darrell Daniels and Daniel Helm to add depth at tight end after losing Zylstra and waiving Derrick Deese. ... OT Penei Sewell (concussion) returned to practice Wednesday after being out for two days. ... CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee) was put on the PUP list. … TE Sam LaPorta returned to work after leaving Monday’s session early with a minor ankle injury. … WR Trinity Benson was carted off the practice field after a collision with a teammate. … Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu did not practice.
