Snacks: Leonard Williams Playing Faster Than Other Rookies

[flgreen]

Damon Harrison: Leonard Williams playing faster than other rookies

Posted by Josh Alper on July 19, 2015, 10:06 AM EDT
Leonard Willimas
AP
When the Jets picked defensive lineman Leonard Williams with the sixth overall pick in the draft, it looked like he would spend his rookie season working into the mix behind Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson on a deep and talented defensive line.

Richardson has been suspended for the first four games of the season, however, and Williams will be called on for more that occasional snaps up front for the Jets during the early part of the year. Nose tackle Damon Harrison says that the rookie’s early work with the team has created confidence that he’ll be able to do what’s needed.

“Damn good guy, heck of an athlete, freakish athlete,” Harrison said, via NJ.com. “He picked up on what we’ve installed. He picked up on that pretty quick, so it’s allowed him to play faster than what other rookies have been doing. That’s a credit to him, man, because it’s not easy to learn an NFL defense. And he communicates with us. He talks. That’s one thing you don’t find in a lot of rookies. They’re quiet and they’re just trying to learn. He talks. He wants to know: ‘OK, what are you doing on this play?’ He’s trying to make sure he knows what you’re doing, so that he can adjust his game to that.”

If Williams is as good as advertised, the Jets defense has a chance to be one of the best in the league this season. Harrison knows that it is just a chance and that there’s a lot of work to do between now and September because it is “yet to be seen” if the team’s strength on paper will carry over to the field.

 

[flgreen]

First 4 games of a Rookie's career are the toughest as they learn the league. Hopefully Williams can pick it up quick to fill the hole Richardson created

 

[jetgreen13]

so we ended up using the 6th pick in the draft on a kid that might have been the best player in his class..

some voiced concern because the defensive line is such a talented deep unit, plus how can you keep them all when existing contracts run out??

well we haven't heard much chirping about that around here lately..

perhaps mac had a better read/Intel on the players he inherited (*puff* *puff*) then even we thought??

great to hear the kid is sharp as tack & seems well respected by his unit, BTW..

 

[Golden Rott]

so we ended up using the 6th pick in the draft on a kid that might have been the best player in his class..

some voiced concern because the defensive line is such a talented deep unit, plus how can you keep them all when existing contracts run out??

well we haven't heard much chirping about that around here lately..

perhaps mac had a better read/Intel on the players he inherited (*puff* *puff*) then even we thought??

great to hear the kid is sharp as tack & seems well respected by his unit, BTW..

Saw these comments from Schefter from a radio show last week. Sure makes it seems like the Jets knew that something was going in with Richardson:

http://1045theteam.com/adam-schefte...n-to-the-sheldon-richardson-suspension-audio/

With Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and missing the first four games of this season, how much should the team have doubts on trusting Richardson going forward?
“The bigger concern if you’re Sheldon Richardson or the New York Jets at this point is that another violation can cost you a year,” said Adam Schefter, to Armen and Levack on 104.5 The Team in Albany, New York. “[That’s] a loss of salary, loss for the team, the whole thing like that. That’s something that the whole team wants to avoid and you don’t want that to happen.”
Behind the scenes, Gang Green had been questioning the mindset of Richardson for quite some time.
“When you speak to people in that organization and go back to last year, they say that he had demonstrated some erratic behavior, he was late to some meetings. There were some people in that organization that were concerned with some of the signs that he was exhibiting and showing.”
Richardson is still under contract for another two years and Schefter says that despite the recent suspension, his current deal will not be affected. Now, what happens at the end of the 2016 season? That heavily depends on what Richardson does, on and off the field, between now and then.

 

[Savage69]

First 4 games of a Rookie's career are the toughest as they learn the league. Hopefully Williams can pick it up quick to fill the hole Richardson created

Generally yes but Abe had 4 1/2 sacks in 6 games before he left with a sports hernia and Ellis played well also finishing with 8 1/2 sacks and that was in Grohs 3-4 defense as rookies.. If Bowles is what his record from the cards seems to indicate I think LC will come out pretty dam impressive..

 

[flgreen]

Saw these comments from Schefter from a radio show last week. Sure makes it seems like the Jets knew that something was going in with Richardson:

http://1045theteam.com/adam-schefte...n-to-the-sheldon-richardson-suspension-audio/

Yeah they had to know that he had problems. Don't forget to get a 4 game suspension for pot he had to fail at least 3 tests in 2 years.

Not a strong indicator the guy is taking his career seriously. Still think I would have taken Williams at 6 even if Richardson was a saint.

 

[flgreen]

Generally yes but Abe had 4 1/2 sacks in 6 games before he left with a sports hernia and Ellis played well also finishing with 8 1/2 sacks and that was in Grohs 3-4 defense as rookies.. If Bowles is what his record from the cards seems to indicate I think LC will come out pretty dam impressive..

I like the Williams pick alot, even before Richardson bust. Just puts a lot more pressure on the kid that he doesn't need at this point.

Don't think he'll embarrass himself at all

 

[Savage69]

I like the Williams pick alot, even before Richardson bust. Just puts a lot more pressure on the kid that he doesn't need at this point.

Don't think he'll embarrass himself at all

We are loaded with D linemen so I don't think Williams has any pressure except what he puts on himself..

 

[mykcuz]

I like the Williams pick alot, even before Richardson bust. Just puts a lot more pressure on the kid that he doesn't need at this point.

Don't think he'll embarrass himself at all

In this league you need aqb,and depth on dline. with our secondary, depth at dline only compliments each other and makes us able to harass Brady deeper into games. And hopefully our young line is an advantage late in games, finally exterminating Bradys 4th quarter come back miracles.

The fact that he was the best player in the draft,also at a crucial position, also at a position that gives us future financial flexibility in a league that is paying big money to veterans at this position. We now can match any other teams dominant line, except with either a lower payroll, or more depth.

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