Antwaan Randle El on Lions Receivers: 'We Dictate What's Going to Happen'
Detroit Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El has some new toys to play with in the Lions' receivers room this upcoming season.
One of them is former Jacksonville Jaguars wideout and deep threat DJ Chark, while the other is former Alabama standout receiver and speedster Jameson Williams.
Detroit general manager Brad Holmes inked Chark to a one-year, $10 million deal during the heart of free agency earlier this offseason. Meanwhile, Holmes & Co. traded up 20 spots in the first round of this past April's draft to select Williams at No. 12 overall.
Williams is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered during the Crimson Tide's national title game loss to Clemson this past college football season. However, Chark has been getting his reps in at the Lions' Allen Park practice facility, and has developed a nice, early rapport with Detroit signal-caller Jared Goff.
"Something happens on the film and before Jared even gets it out of his mouth, DJ says, 'Yeah, I know, I know I got to do this,' or vice versa and DJ say, 'JG, what you think about,' and then before he even finishes, Jared will respond, 'My bad, I should've put it (the football) here or put it there,'" Randle El told Lions.com writer Tim Twentyman during the latest episode of the "Twentyman in the Huddle" podcast. "So, rapport is there, and again, it can get stronger, and that's week after week, rep after rep, in terms of getting together. And, they'll definitely get together in the summer, even when we're not together as a group."
Speaking of the game film, when you turn on Chark's, there's a lot that jumps out, according to Randle El.
"When you turn on his film, it's like, you see the different routes he can run. Just about every route in the tree, he can run," Randle El expressed. "But then, you saw the speed and explosiveness that he had running down the field. But then, after he caught the ball, running away from guys. That's the thing that kind of excites you. But then, the other thing that excites you, as well, is him snagging the ball. Like he gets his head around late when the ball is thrown early, and he'll just pluck it."
Per Randle El, there's a difference between "plucking" the ball and simply catching it.
He continued, "And plucking the ball is different than just grabbing or catching. Well, plucking is like you don't miss a beat. It's like you run that slant route -- and you've seen him run it in practice -- and it's no stop. There's no stutter. He plucks it out of the air and keeps on going. And, when you see that on film, it excites you. It's like, how many times can we get him the ball to allow him to pluck it?"
Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports
Chark brings an element to the Lions' passing game that wasn't existent a season ago, which is the consistent presence of a vertical threat. And so does Williams, with the speed he offers on the outside.
Many fans and pundits alike believe that Williams, once healthy, will be a difference-making pass-catcher for Detroit, with the ability to take the top off a defense. Randle El is excited for what it means for the Lions' offense heading into the 2022 season.
"Now, that defense has to focus on speed. Whether it's speed at the No. 3, No. 2 or a No. 1, they've got to try to play for speed," Randle El commented. "Well, when you've got all this speed, they can't just, we dictate what's going to happen and how it's going to happen. And, you can do that when you have speed."
Due to the acquisitions of Chark and Williams, Detroit's receivers room is certainly deeper than it was a year ago, and it's also improved. And, with better talent, comes bigger expectations.
Randle El, for one, has placed some high expectations on the position group for the upcoming season.
"The excitement level is there, and the expectation is high, at the end of the day," Randle El said. "And they know that, in my room. They know what I expect from them. Like I don't know or care what everybody else expects. But, I know what I expect from my guys, and they get it and I show them. I start it off, like this is what I expect, and we go down through the list of what is expected of them."
He continued, "And, we'll come back from training camp, and guess what, we'll go through the same list, because I want to make sure they know. And, that helps us. That sets the stage, as to how we're going to compete and how we're going to move forward."
