Jameson Williams' early return is an unexpected gift for the Detroit Lions. The wideout is set to return after his six-game suspension for violating the league's anti-gambling policy was reduced to four.
However, the pass-catcher faces an uphill battle to get acclimated to the Lions' offense. He was forced to be away from the organization and team facilities for the duration of his suspension, so he will have to get acclimated to Ben Johnson and company's system quickly in order to contribute Sunday.
As a result of his absence, league rules mandated that the Lions could have no communication with the second-year wideout. This made it impossible for Lions' wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El to check in on Williams.
"Nothing. I couldn't even call him, it was the worst thing," Randle El said. "They need to change that. You've got a young kid, young player, the suspension is enough. You can't even communicate with him, like, that's bad."
This lack of communication made for an exciting reunion when Williams was officially reinstated.
"It was great," Randle El stated. "It wasn't quite like when he got drafted, but he was in the hallway like, 'Coach El!' He was just excited. We chopped it up, it was real good."
Marvin Jones' Role
Marvin Jones struggled in the season opener against Kansas City, with two drops and a fumble. Since that game, his snap count has decreased steadily.
As the season progresses, Randle El is still optimistic that the veteran can help the team on the field in addition to his valuable contributions off the field.
"It's clicking, it's just the opportunity," the receivers coach explained. "I can't say enough about Marvin and what he's bringing to the table for us, not just on the field, in the room too. Being a 12-year veteran, I can explain something and some of the young guys can be like, 'Nah coach, I don't see it like that. Then Marv will say something and they'll get it. But Marv will be fine, he'll bounce back more and more. That first game was a little, ah, for him from that standpoint. He had two drops and a turnover. That was not what he was used to in terms of his play. Now, it's just about the opportunity to come play, making plays and certainly we've got a long season. We need every guy."
With Williams returning, it could be seen as difficult to get Jones on the field. However, Randle El pointed out that not all receivers can do the same thing. This means the Lions will continue to use Jones in a way that best utilizes his skill set.
"Opportunity is gonna be there and the reason is guys run different things. There's certain things that I wouldn't put Jamo on that I would put Marvin on and vice versa," Randle El stated. "Certain things, you would think that I could put (Amon-Ra St. Brown) on everything. He would think so as well. But we just don't. That's the way we work it from that standpoint. If it fits, it fits. If not, we don't run it. If it fits for our guys, we try to put our guys in the best position possible."
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