Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell praised undrafted rookie wide receiver Isaiah Williams after the team's first preseason game.
The Detroit Lions are making room for the return of Jameson Williams by parting ways with another wide receiver who made the team as an undrafted rookie.
The team announced on Nov. 7 that they waived rookie Isaiah Williams, who made the final roster after an impressive performance in training camp but appeared in just two games this season. The move frees up a roster spot for the return of Jameson Williams, who completed a two-game suspension for violating the league’s rules against performance-enhancing drugs.
As Christian Booher of SI.com noted, the rookie Williams struggled with an abdominal injury early in the season and was a healthy scratch through the first six games. He made two catches for six yards this season, both of them coming in the team’s Week 8 blowout win over the Tennessee Titans.
Williams signed with the team after going undrafted in the spring and made a big impression during the preseason, making 11 catches for 123 yards while serving on punt and kick return units. He ultimately earned a spot on the final 53-man roster.
But as Booher noted, Williams was surpassed by another receiver who started near the bottom of the depth chart.
“Detroit has been helped at the receiver position by the emergence of veteran Tim Patrick,” he wrote. “Signed to the practice squad after being cut by the Denver Broncos, Patrick has worked his way into a key role on the roster. In seven games this season, Patrick has 12 catches for 177 yards in addition to several key blocks.”
Booher noted that the rookie Williams could be a contender to return to Detroit’s practice squad if he clears waivers.
Team Anticipates Return of Jameson Williams
The Lions are set to get a big boost from the return of Jameson Williams, who completed his two-game suspension. Fellow receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said he is excited to get the speedy playmaker back on the field and in some favorable playing conditions, with two straight games in domes.
“It feels amazing. Much needed. I feel like he’s gonna bring a huge spark to our offense,” St. Brown said, via SI.com. “Finally, no more rain conditions, Tennessee was kind of an odd game. Hopefully this game we can kind of get back in a rhythm again on offense. Having him back is gonna be huge for us. I’m excited and I know he is too.”
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St. Brown added some praise for Williams, who has shown steady improvement after missing the majority of his rookie season while rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college.
“It’s been growing every year since I’ve got here. I think each and every year, obviously you want to think you get better every year and you’re growing and you’re understanding defenses and stuff like that,” St. Brown explained. “For us, I understand what he’s seeing out there. I know what he likes as a route-runner, things he likes us to do. And he knows how I like to run my routes, things I’m seeing, how I run different routes in the offense. So he can anticipate throws really easily. Having that chemistry, playing with him for four years definitely helps.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
