It might not be the news that fantasy football pundits want to hear, but the Detroit Lions plan at running back is a timeshare between D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. But the share of the time and reps is a fluid situation from week to week and even quarter to quarter, according to head coach Dan Campbell.
The coach was asked about Williams, who signed as a free agent from Green Bay this offseason, and if the RB was comfortable with his role in Detroit.
“Absolutely,” Campbell said. “He knew exactly what he (was going to get) – and he embraces it, he wants to be here.”
Campbell then expanded upon his initial answer,
“By the way, it’s a one-two punch. We’re going to use both of those guys, they know that. A guy gets a hot hand, he’s rolling. If Jamaal is in there, we’re rolling. Jamaal is going to be rolling and we’ll use (D’Andre) Swift for other things, which is fine. That’s a good problem to have. I’m glad we got him; I know that.”
Coach Campbell referenced his old team, the New Orleans Saints, and how that team successfully used multiple backs within the offense.
“The place I just came from, obviously with (New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara) AK, and to have (former Saints RB) Mark Ingram when I first got there. Mark was a stud, still is a stud, by the way. That’s my vision of this one-two punch. To have what we had after we left with (New Orleans Saints RB Latavius) Murray as well. Murray was that guy for us and that’s how I see Jamaal Williams for us, for Detroit. He’s high energy. He’s a bit of a hammer and I think he’s a guy your team can feed off of a little bit. I said that when we signed him. That was always what Mark was for us and Latavius Murray when Mark left us. That’s what Jamaal is.”
For reference, in 2020 Kamara and Murray split the carries up with Kamara getting 187 and Murray 146. One year earlier it was Kamara outpacing Murray, 171 to 146. Kamara did get 107 and 97 passing targets in those two seasons, respectively, to Murray’s 34 and 26.
Figure on a similar split in Detroit between Swift, who does draw some Kamara comparisons, and Williams. However, Williams is a more accomplished receiving threat than Murray ever was in his career.
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