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This week, Martz praises No. 88
December 1, 2006
By NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Sometimes Mike Martz won't talk about Mike Williams. Sometimes he has nothing but good things to say about him. Depends how Williams is doing.
Well, Martz is praising Williams these days.
"He's competing," said Martz, the Lions' offensive coordinator. "Here's a guy that came into the league at a very young age, and a lot of times those guys that are propped up like that have a false sense of what this league is really about.
"I think there's a maturity that's happening with him that's pretty exciting. I think he's going be a real good player, and all the things that we hoped and wished he would be, I think he'll be."
The 22-year-old wide receiver has had several problems since the Lions drafted him 10th overall in 2005. After he dropped a pass Oct. 8 at Minnesota, the Lions left him out of uniform for five straight games. He said he went though a time where he "kind of tanked it."
But Williams was back on the field Thanksgiving Day against Miami and caught his first pass of the season, a seven-yarder. He also dropped a pass. He is expected to receive significant playing time again Sunday at New England.
"I think sometimes young guys like that feel like it's personal or you don't like them or you're mad at them, and that's not the case ever," Martz said. "You're just waiting for them to understand what this is all about, really. I think that's going on right now with Mike, and that's good. ...
"He's still a ways a way. He still has a lot of work to do. But the attitude is really terrific, and he's trying to make it happen. You can work with anybody when they'll do that, and that's what's exciting about Mike. He gets it right now, I think. It's not going to be overnight, but he's going to end up being a real fine player."
You can take that at face value. The Lions have been hard on Williams. They have fined him tens of thousands of dollars for being overweight. They have kept him on the sidelines when they desperately needed help at receiver.
But you can be skeptical, too. Williams still hasn't reached the 220-pound weight target the Lions set for him this season, and the Lions are suddenly high on him at a convenient time.
The Lions have exhausted several options at receiver. Wide receiver Devale Ellis has a shoulder injury. The offense is struggling, especially in the red zone -- where Williams might be able to help most.
Williams is 6-feet-4 and 230 pounds or so. He has caught only one touchdown pass in the NFL, but he caught 30 in two seasons at USC.
"When he runs as fast as he can run, he's got plenty of speed," Martz said. "With his size, he can put his body on people and take that ball away. He has that knack. He's so strong in the legs. He can get out of cuts really quick like a little guy. ... He can do all the little guy type of routes and maybe not separate, but his body will create that type of advantage as opposed to that separation."
Is Martz praising Williams because he deserves it -- or because he needs to play him and the Lions can't appear to be lowering their standards? Are the Lions still hoping Williams will blossom for them -- or are they trying to increase the value of an asset they might want to deal in the off-season? Some combination of the above?
Whatever the reason, Williams must seize this opportunity. He still has to prove he can maintain a high level of performance.
"I had plans for myself this season," Williams said. "It obviously didn't work out for various reasons. But I can try to squeeze what I can out of these last few weeks and maximize it."
December 1, 2006
By NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Sometimes Mike Martz won't talk about Mike Williams. Sometimes he has nothing but good things to say about him. Depends how Williams is doing.
Well, Martz is praising Williams these days.
"He's competing," said Martz, the Lions' offensive coordinator. "Here's a guy that came into the league at a very young age, and a lot of times those guys that are propped up like that have a false sense of what this league is really about.
"I think there's a maturity that's happening with him that's pretty exciting. I think he's going be a real good player, and all the things that we hoped and wished he would be, I think he'll be."
The 22-year-old wide receiver has had several problems since the Lions drafted him 10th overall in 2005. After he dropped a pass Oct. 8 at Minnesota, the Lions left him out of uniform for five straight games. He said he went though a time where he "kind of tanked it."
But Williams was back on the field Thanksgiving Day against Miami and caught his first pass of the season, a seven-yarder. He also dropped a pass. He is expected to receive significant playing time again Sunday at New England.
"I think sometimes young guys like that feel like it's personal or you don't like them or you're mad at them, and that's not the case ever," Martz said. "You're just waiting for them to understand what this is all about, really. I think that's going on right now with Mike, and that's good. ...
"He's still a ways a way. He still has a lot of work to do. But the attitude is really terrific, and he's trying to make it happen. You can work with anybody when they'll do that, and that's what's exciting about Mike. He gets it right now, I think. It's not going to be overnight, but he's going to end up being a real fine player."
You can take that at face value. The Lions have been hard on Williams. They have fined him tens of thousands of dollars for being overweight. They have kept him on the sidelines when they desperately needed help at receiver.
But you can be skeptical, too. Williams still hasn't reached the 220-pound weight target the Lions set for him this season, and the Lions are suddenly high on him at a convenient time.
The Lions have exhausted several options at receiver. Wide receiver Devale Ellis has a shoulder injury. The offense is struggling, especially in the red zone -- where Williams might be able to help most.
Williams is 6-feet-4 and 230 pounds or so. He has caught only one touchdown pass in the NFL, but he caught 30 in two seasons at USC.
"When he runs as fast as he can run, he's got plenty of speed," Martz said. "With his size, he can put his body on people and take that ball away. He has that knack. He's so strong in the legs. He can get out of cuts really quick like a little guy. ... He can do all the little guy type of routes and maybe not separate, but his body will create that type of advantage as opposed to that separation."
Is Martz praising Williams because he deserves it -- or because he needs to play him and the Lions can't appear to be lowering their standards? Are the Lions still hoping Williams will blossom for them -- or are they trying to increase the value of an asset they might want to deal in the off-season? Some combination of the above?
Whatever the reason, Williams must seize this opportunity. He still has to prove he can maintain a high level of performance.
"I had plans for myself this season," Williams said. "It obviously didn't work out for various reasons. But I can try to squeeze what I can out of these last few weeks and maximize it."
not easy enough - the team may have made the right choice, but the PLAYER gave up. The only indication the team shoulda had was that BMW joined a complete poophead (keeping it PG, but you know what I'm saying) in suing the NFL to get in while still eligible to play college ball. And that would seem to indicate he was anbxious to get to the NFL and become a PROFESSIONAL.
