Jared Goff Explains Why Amon-Ra St. Brown Will Be 'Big Part' of Offense
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Detroit Lions second-year wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown is expected to be a significant contributor in Ben Johnson's offense.
Now in his sophomore campaign, the expectations regarding what the talented wideout can accomplish out on the field have started to grow.
"I think that’s what we anticipate out of our guys, and that’s why we’ve got them here," Dan Campbell said during the spring. "That’s why they’re here is so we can continue to develop them and get them to take that big next step in year two. And, I said this before, you’ll always -- most guys can continue to get better and grow throughout the years. But, I think it’s hard to make that big of a jump after year two. That year one to year two is when you make the biggest jump.”
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After a stellar rookie campaign, St. Brown has now been given additional leeway when making decisions about his routes.
Working with Goff, along with other receivers this summer, has given the 22-year-old added confidence that he can become a reliable target when called upon.
"He's looked great, and he's kind of taking the jump that we expected," Goff told reporters, when asked about St. Brown's potential. "He's a hell of a player and a hell of a professional. I love throwing him the ball. And, he does a good job getting himself open."
St. Brown's improvement has not just been physical, as his capacity to read defenses and the mental aspect of the game have also taken drastic steps forward.
"I think between the ears, right. He's got a little bit of experience now under his belt. That's kind of always that biggest jump is that first to second year. Once you see it a few times, you hope you don't make the same mistake twice," Goff commented. "And, he really hasn't. He's really picked it up fast. We're giving him some leeway on decisions with his routes, and he's done a great job handling that, understanding coverage and asking the right questions. He's a guy that we expect to be a big part of our offense."
Nothing personal
Goff downplayed questions regarding the wide receivers that weren't invited to workouts with him this summer, chalking it up to contacting those who were in town.
Detroit's signal-caller did not want to make it seem personal that Trinity Benson was not invited to any offseason workouts out in California.
While Benson was not included, there were other wideouts not part of the planned workouts, too.
"I love Trinity," Goff said. "He's done a great job. I told him in the spring. I thought he had a great spring. And, it's similar to St. Brown. Just seeing him kind of mentally take the next step of understanding coverage and understanding where you're supposed to be. It really comes with understanding the offense."
