His road to the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster might be complicated, but second-year running back Dexter Williams isn’t giving up his roster spot without a fight.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur expressed excitement in what he’s seen so far from Williams, the team’s sixth-round pick from a year ago.
“The guy I’m excited about seeing more is Dexter Williams,” LaFleur said on Tuesday. “He’s a guy that’s been working really, really hard in all the video I’ve seen of him in the conditioning phases.”
The Packers begin practice on Saturday. That’s when the real work begins for the young running back.
Williams, who made the roster as a rookie, is in for a battle during training camp. The Packers drafted A.J. Dillon in the second round, and Tyler Ervin has a real chance to make the roster again as the team’s primary punt and kick returner. Throw in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, the top two running backs, and a roster spot at the position will be difficult to win this summer.
LaFleur’s tone while discussing Williams is already markedly different from last summer, when he consistently harped on the young running back to be better and more consistent as both a runner and pass protector. Inconsistent during his first training camp, Williams found himself buried on the depth chart and without the trust of the coaching staff to play meaningful snaps.
Despite being on the active roster for the entire season, Williams played in only four games and received just five carries over only 10 total snaps on offense.
Now, Williams must prove he’s more reliable and in a better position to showcase his explosive running abilities if he wants to force the Packers to keep him around despite the incredible depth at the position. It’s possible the Packers could roster five running backs, especially if Williams has a strong summer and the team doesn’t keep a true fullback.
LaFleur likes the look of the group, from the top down.
“I’m really excited about that room as a whole,” LaFleur said. “They do complement each other well. They each bring a different style to our team.”
[lawrence-related id=49468,49455,49434,49401]