We made fun of Green Bay Packers tight end D.J. Williams earlier this offseason because it looked like all he was doing was partying and trying to pick up chicks while carrying around a stuffed teddy bear or a toy turtle.
At first, Williams was butt hurt, but it looks like he understands the message now. For a guy who has had more or less zero production on offense in two seasons, Williams knows this is a make or break training camp.
The Packers, as usual, have about 85 tight ends on the roster. Jermichael Finley is the clear-cut No. 1 and Andrew Quarless returns after missing all of 2012. The Packers also signed Matthew Mulligan in the offseason and special teams stalwart Ryan Taylor also comes back. Throw in Brandon Bostick, who spent all last season on the practice squad, and undrafted free agent Jake Stoneburner and it doesn’t look like there are any locks to make the team other than Finley.
Williams is starting to talk the talk.
“This is a huge year. There’s no more time for rookie mistakes,” Williams said. “We had the lockout, so we had that excuse. Then we had a whole year of playing the way it’s supposed to be played with the offseason and OTAs.
“Now, it’s time to put up or shut up.”
Williams should get plenty of opportunities in the preseason, but he needs to take full advantage. If Williams doesn’t separate himself, the Packers are likely to move on before the season begins.
Williams is the smallest of the Packers tight ends and isn’t known as much of a blocker. It’s the same knock on him that he had coming out of college. If it hasn’t changed by now, it probably isn’t going to.
Unless Williams has a spectacular training camp catching the ball, our bet is he isn’t around for the start of the season.
Has there been an #84 on the Packers squad that has done less?
Wells, Don (E) Georgia 1946
Knafelc, Gary (E) Colorado 1954-62
Dale, Carroll (WR) Virginia Tech 1965-72
Odom, Steve (WR) Utah 1974-79
Nixon, Fred (WR) Oklahoma 1980-81
Taylor, Lenny (WR) Tennessee 1984
Franz, Nolan (WR) Tulane 1986
Smith, Wes (WR) East Texas State 1987
Sharpe, Sterling (WR) South Carolina 1988-94
Morgan, Anthony (WR Tennessee 1996
Rison, Andre (WR) Michigan State 1996
Schroeder, Bill (WR) Wis.-La Crosse 1997-2001
Walker, Javon (WR) Florida State 2002-04
Tory Humphrey (TE) Central Michigan 2008
I found a few one year ‘wonders’ on this list Nolan Franz, Wes Smith…. other than that. Nobody.
Don Wells has him beat… and that guy played in 1946 playing both ways as an Defensive End / (Tight) End.
Pretty good start on a GPB all-asshole team with some of the #84 guys.
Rison, Walker and Sharpe would make for a great receiving corps. Until they weren’t getting their catches…or money…or props…or rings…or whatever.
You are going to throw Sterling Sharpe in with Andre Rison and Javon Walker? Are you serious?
The only people that Sterling was a D-bag to was the media, and he should get bonus points for that.
how about holding out at the last minute?
I remember him playing in Week 1.
“Now, it’s time to put up or shut up.”
Considering that the NFL preaches to its players that a career is 3 years, it would have been nice to see him adopt this attitude in his first year, or maybe his second year.
Rings a bit hollow now…
Much like McCarthy’s blather about “can’t have too many tight-ends.” Did we ever see much of anything with Ryan or Williams — or even Crabtree (8 recs)?
For all the versatility and HB-capability — in addition to the Packers inability to get 3rd-n-short on the ground — I would have thought we would have seen more from this remarkable fleet of tight-ends.
Wasn’t this the guy that came in with all the ‘underdog makes good’ hype when he was drafted? Wasn’t he supposed to be some kind of draft steal?
I think he’s the one who did the stealing.
I agree with prior sentiments.
I had high hopes for DJ Williams out of college, but he has been a no show. The one chance he had to be the starter, he pulled his hamstring.
I don’t see the Packers cutting him, but it is likely his last year here. Like Crabtree, the Packers will be unlikely to offer him a contract.
sayin it and doin it are two different things……..dude has a ton of competition, so he had better have it in 4th gear already………..