His path to the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man squad might be complicated, but second-year running back Dexter Williams isn’t relinquishing his spot on the roster without a fight.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur has expressed his excitement over what he has seen so far from Williams, the team’s sixth-round pick a year ago.
“The guy I’m looking forward to seeing more of is Dexter Williams,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “He’s a guy who worked really, really hard in all the videos that I saw of him during the conditioning phases.”
The Packers begin practice on Saturday. This is where the real work begins for the young running back.
Williams, who made the roster as a rookie, is engaged in a battle during training camp. The Packers drafted AJ Dillon in the second round, and Tyler Ervin has a real chance to make the list again as the team’s main kick-and-kick returner. It will be difficult to win this summer with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, the two best running backs, and a place in the roster.
LaFleur’s tone while discussing Williams is already very different from last summer, when he constantly insisted on the young running back to be better and more consistent as a runner and passing protector. Inconsistent during his first training camp, Williams found himself buried on the depth map and without the confidence of the coaching staff to play meaningful shots.
Despite being on the active roster for the entire season, Williams has played in just four games and received just five deferrals, just 10 total shots on offense.
Now Williams has to prove he’s more reliable and in a better position to show off his explosive running abilities if he is to force the Packers to keep him despite the position’s incredible depth. It’s possible the Packers could field five running backs, especially if Williams has had a strong summer and the team isn’t keeping a real fullback.
LaFleur likes the look of the band, top to bottom.
“I’m really excited about this venue as a whole,” said LaFleur. “They complement each other well. They each bring a different style to our team. “
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