The New Orleans Saints turned a lot of heads on Wednesday evening when they reached an agreement with former Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams on a three-year free agent contract, adding an experienced runner to pair with Alvin Kamara and help support Derek Carr.
But what does Williams bring to the table? To get the inside track on what Williams adds to the team, I reached out to Lions Wire managing editor Jeff Risdon (you can follow him on Twitter here). For his part, Risdon isn’t eager to see him go. The charismatic running back was a fun player to cover:
Saints Wire: Williams has been in the league for a while but finally broke out in 2022. What sparked that uptick in usage? Can he replicate his success in 2023?
Risdon: The Lions coaches appreciated Williams’ effort and ability to run the play as designed. That’s (rightly) just not something they trusted with D’Andre Swift, so Williams saw an uptick in workload. He proved he could be more than a short-yardage or 1st-and-10 back, which is how he was primarily used in Green Bay and his first season in Detroit.
Saints Wire: He seems to be a very charismatic personality. What does Williams add to the locker room as far as a leadership role or energy presence?
Risdon: Oh man, he’s a fantastic teammate and leadership presence. Williams is eccentric; he loves anime, doesn’t watch sports at all, dances spontaneously during practices. Constant positive energy. He’s got a keen sense of when to cut loose and when to be serious. His teammates loved him. So did the coaches. And that’s not even close to how the Lions fans felt about Williams.
Saints Wire: We’re obviously looking at the league-leading 17 touchdown runs last season, but what does Williams do best? Which games should Saints fans watch to get an idea of his talents?
Risdon: Williams has a very good nose for the hole and he attacks it north-south, no hesitation or indecision. He’s got a good leg drive and balance through contact that allows him to break the initial tackle effectively. His best games were the first meeting with the Vikings and then the final two games, vs. Chicago and Green Bay. Note those are all division rivals — Williams understands how to elevate in those types of games.
Saints Wire: Lastly, is Williams someone the Saints could lean on if Alvin Kamara is suspended for any great length of time? Should they look to add another RB?
Risdon: Williams is definitely at his best when sharing the load. He struggled quite a bit during the middle of last year when Swift was out and Justin Jackson wasn’t playing well in the mix. He doesn’t offer a lot of dynamic ability outside the tackles unless the play is well-blocked, which is something the Lions did very well.
