Saints RB Jamaal Williams Focusing on Mental Processing, Pass-catching in Offseason Training
Several key additions have been made to the New Orleans Saints roster this off-season. While quarterback Derek Carr will headline many lists, the addition of Jamaal Williams to the running back room has brought a lot of excitement.
After knocking his introductory press conference out of the park, he has now turned his attention toward getting ready for the 2023 NFL season. The focus of his off-season training is keenly zeroed in on the mental side of football as well as his receiving abilities.
We reached out to Luke Neal, a skills specialist working with Williams for further details on the workout and its goals. "His body of work this year is playing the game from the mental perspective versus the physical," Neal said. "Being able to see things quicker and to adjust with smooth transition. (He's also) working on his pass catching skills and abilities. It’s going to help him even more in the open field."
The skills specialist and coach shared a sneak peek of William’s recent workout on Twitter Saturday morning. The sixth-year back can be seen cutting, changing direction and stopping on a dime throughout the clip. There are also photos of the back pulling weights and working on explosive leaps.
Applying Neal's explanation, it's clear that mental processing is a big factor throughout. Making the right decision against the open-field tackler, adjusting to the depth of the swinging dowel, and then breaking to the correct side and precise angle to get to the endzone.
Neal detailed that pass-catching is an emphasis for Williams as well. The running back will be catching 1,000 passes a day as a part of his four-time a week workouts. On top of that he'll be adding 1,500 push-ups a day, working abs three times a day, eating seven times a day all while saving time for pool workouts (running, explosive jumps, and more water-resisted movement). But don't worry. Williams still gets three days a week to rest accompanied by massage and smoothies. What a workload.
Sep 25, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams (30) in during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Williams was intent during his first press conference in New Orleans to drive home his goal to prove the notion that he is just a “short-yardage back” in the league wrong. "They think they know my running style," Williams said after signing with the Saints. "They think they know how I’m running the ball. But you can always change it up, so that’s why I can’t wait for this season."
His focus on improving in the open field and further developing as a pass-catcher can certainly do that. It should not be forgotten that Williams did average 30.5 catches per season while in Green Bay.
The more elements of his game that he continues to refine, the more opposing defenses must account for in their game plan. Having that style of back partnered with the inherent mismatch of Alvin Kamara could create a lot of advantages for the Saints on game days.
