Tag: Keith Williams

Saints wideouts, WR coach Keith Williams host youth football camp

Most of the Saints wide receivers and their position coach Keith Williams hosted a youth football camp in Nebraska this week:

This is really cool to see. Most of the New Orleans Saints wide receivers corps and their position coach Keith Williams hosted a youth football camp in Nebraska this week, teaching dozens of youngsters the skills they’ll need to succeed in football.

Rashid Shaheed and A.T. Perry were joined by veterans Stanley Morgan and Cedrick Wilson Jr. as well as Mason Tipton, a rookie free agent the team signed from Yale. That’s more than half the room; the only receivers not in attendance were Chris Olave and Equanimeous St. Brown, plus first-year pros Jermaine Jackson and Bub Means (who has been dealing with a minor injury).

It’s good to see the guys getting out there and making memories with the next generation of football players. It’s great that a mix of veteran players, expected starters, and some new to the NFL got together to share this experience. That camaraderie will carry over when they kick off what’s expected to be a competitive training camp next week.

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Willie Snead IV says he’d love to retire with the Saints

Willie Snead IV says he’d love to retire with the Saints. He was teammates with Derek Carr on the Raiders and worked with Klint Kubiak on the 49ers.

Willie Snead IV has had an interesting NFL career. He broke out with the New Orleans Saints in a big way, catching 69 passes for 984 yards back in 2015, following up with 72 receptions and 895 yards in 2016. While he hasn’t met those numbers in the years since, he’s continued to hang around with the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and most intriguingly, the San Francisco 49ers.

The former Saints wideout spoke with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett about his experiencing working in Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense, also reflecting on his time in New Orleans and the most memorable plays he w as involved with. And he says, if given the chance, he’d like to finish his career with the Saints.

“If that black and gold starts calling, I would love to retire in those colors, if anything,” Snead said. “Because that’s where I started. It would only seem fitting and right to finish there, if you get what I’m saying.”

Snead is a player the Saints know well. He caught passes from Derek Carr for five games in 2021. His time with the Ravens didn’t overlap with Keith Williams, the Saints’ new receivers coach and Baltimore’s former assistant wideouts coach, but he was often in the same room as Klint Kubiak last year in San Francisco. Kubiak worked as the 49ers passing game coordinator in 2023 while Snead was on their practice squad.

Would Snead add much to the receiving corps? Maybe, maybe not. His early success with the Saints looks like more of a flash in the pan, but they do have a young group. Snead has appeared in more games (91) than any other  receiver on the roster and he could be a good veteran resource for his less-experienced teammates during training camp. The Saints brought a dozen receivers into training camp last summer but only have nine on the roster right now. They could be looking to add one more  to the group before kicking off camp in California next week.

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Ravens assistant wide receivers coach Keith Williams to join Saints staff

Saints hire Ravens’ Keith Williams to be their receivers coach

The Baltimore Ravens continue to lose coaches this offseason as assistant wide receivers coach Keith Williams has joined the New Orleans Saints as the wide receivers coach.

Williams previously worked as Tulane’s wide receivers coach from 2012-14.

Williams has been on the Ravens coaching staff the past three seasons, spending the first two years as passing game specialist before assuming the role of assistant wide receivers coach in 2023.

Williams and Wide Receivers Coach Greg Lewis are credited with the quick development of rookie Zay Flowers, who set franchise rookie records for catches (77) and receiving yards (858).

Saints hire Keith Williams as their new wide receivers coach

The Saints hired Keith Williams as their new wide receivers coach. Before coming to the NFL, he was a personal trainer for All-Pros like Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill:

The New Orleans Saints have a wide receivers coach: Keith Williams announced on social media that he has accepted the job on Klint Kubiak’s offensive coaching staff under head coach Dennis Allen. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that he received a two-year contract with the team.

Williams previously worked as the Baltimore Ravens assistant receivers coach. But before that, he spent two decades working as a personal trainer for All-Pro wide receivers like Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill. He’s also coached at the college level, having worked with Adams (and Saints quarterback Derek Carr) at Fresno State.

So he has a strong resume. The Saints have a number of young wide receivers for him to develop in Chris Olave, A.T. Perry, and exclusive rights free agent Rashid Shaheed, who is expected to return on a one-year deal before becoming eligible for a long-term extension in 2025. It looks like the Saints have filled all their vacancies on offense, but stay tuned for confirmation and any late additions to the coaching staff.

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Saints targeting Ravens assistant Keith Williams for WR coach

The Saints are targeting Ravens assistant Keith Williams for their wide receivers coach; he coached Derek Carr at Fresno State and previously worked at Tulane

Here’s another name to watch as the New Orleans Saints fill out their offensive coaching staff. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the Saints are interviewing Baltimore Ravens assistant Keith Williams for their wide receivers coach opening, looking to replace Kodi Burns.

Williams has spent the last three years in Baltimore, initially starting out as the team’s pass game specialist before focusing his work on the receiving corps. But he’s been in the game a long time. Before coming to the NFL he coached at Nebraska, Tulane, and Fresno State, working closely with Derek Carr and Davante Adams early in their college careers.

So he’d obviously have some familiarity with Carr and new insight to bring to the coaching staff. We’ll see if the Saints are able to seal the deal and pull Williams away from Baltimore, so stay tuned. Klint Kubiak has checked most of the boxes in filling out his new-look offensive coaching staff, with a receivers coach being the last major spot to fill.

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Keith Williams details what WR Marquise Brown has done better in his route running

Ravens pass game specialist Keith Williams detailed what wide receiver Marquise Brown has done better with his routes in 2021

The Baltimore Ravens have seen third-year wide receiver Marquise Brown take major strides so far during the 2021 season. He has been a go-to weapons for quarterback Lamar Jackson, and outside of a few mistakes has been rather consistent over the course of the year.

When talking to the media on Tuesday, Baltimore pass game specialist Keith Williams was asked about what Brown has done better in his route running. Williams pointed to multiple things that have helped the wide receiver take massive strides this season, including his preparation and great attention to detail.

“He’s paying close attention to detail. His preparation throughout the week helps him perform the way he has been so far on Sundays. He’s psychologically, mentally and physically locked in. He understands what needs to be done, so when he comes out here to work every day, he knows every rep is a time to improve, is a time to get better and set himself up for the potential to have a good game.”

Brown currently leads the Ravens in receiving yards (537) and receiving touchdowns (six) while also being tied for the team-lead in targets with 37. He looks much more crisp coming out of his routes, and is seemingly playing with a lot more confidence in himself. There are still a few things that he needs to improve upon such as drops, but the early returns on Brown’s third season has been promising.

Marquise Brown calls new coaches Tee Martin and Keith Williams ‘amazing’

The Baltimore Ravens have two new coaches to work with their wideouts in Tee Martin and Keith Williams. Marquise Brown called them “amazing”

The Baltimore Ravens lost a plethora of coaches during the 2021 offseason, prompting them to make a lot of new hires. Many of those additions came on the defensive side of the coaching staff, but it’s some of the new offensive coaches that could have the biggest impact in Baltimore.

The Ravens brought in both wide receivers coach Tee Martin and pass game specialist Keith Williams to work with their receivers and help develop them. Both have an impressive resumĂ©, and when asked about how working with them has been, wide receiver Marquise Brown called the two coaches “amazing”.

Both Martin and Williams will be able to use the tips and tricks that they’ve picked up from being around the game with Baltimore’s young wideouts. The roles that each will play with the team will be a bit different, but both will have a key part in elevating the game of each Ravens receiver. Through practice clips that have been posted, it can be seen that both coaches are extremely hands on, which is important when coaching certain fundamentals and nuances of the game.

With the guidance of Martin and Williams, many are expecting great things out of Baltimore’s new look wide receiver group that now features Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman and others.

Sammy Watkins is the perfect signing for the Ravens

When factoring everything in, the Baltimore Ravens’ signing of WR Sammy Watkins during the 2021 NFL free agency is truly a perfect deal

The Baltimore Ravens finally got their guy, signing wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal Friday evening. While Watkins wasn’t the Ravens’ first choice and Baltimore likely wasn’t Watkins’ first choice, the pairing offers potential benefits for both sides.

The Ravens fill one of their biggest remaining needs with a capable player for a bargain-basement price. Watkins will have a chance to shine as a second-fiddle instead of as a third or fourth option in a more stacked passing attack, giving him the opportunity to re-enter free agency in a better spot.

Though Watkins was the fourth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft and expected to be a star, he never quite reached that potential. Instead, Watkins has been more of a complementary wide receiver throughout most of his career, pairing well with speed options opposite him. Just like in Kansas City where Watkins balanced out the Chiefs’ passing attack playing opposite the speedy Tyreek Hill; Watkins will now play opposite the speedy Marquise Brown in Baltimore. Except, as the Ravens’ roster currently stands, Watkins is clearly the No. 2 option, which should give him the opportunity to earn even more targets than he did last year in Kansas City.

That “X” wide receiver spot has been a missing link in Baltimore for quite some time, bring truly filled last by Anquan Boldin. Last year, the Ravens used a combination of Dez Bryant and Miles Boykin in that role, ultimately getting a combined 44 targets to go their way. Unfortunately, neither player truly excelled, seeing quarterback Lamar Jackson have to often force the ball to Brown or tight end Mark Andrews instead. That’s where Watkins’ signing makes all the sense in the world.

Watkins has the size, polished route running, and just enough speed to be a pretty big upgrade over Boykin and Bryant. Watkins should force defenses to “pick their poison” on every play, having to carefully choose where they spend the bulk of their focus defending. As long as each part of the offense does its job, someone should be open on every play among the trio of Brown, Watkins, and Andrews. And if defenses back off the line of scrimmage to stop the pass, Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack would be salivating at the chance to test it.

There’s good reason to believe Watkins will be his best self with the Ravens. Watkins had the best season of his career under current Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman, catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns with the Buffalo Bills in 2015. The Ravens also hired Keith Williams as their passing-game coordinator, who just so happens to have been Watkins’ personal wide receiver coach before. Ideally, Watkins is entering a situation where everyone is familiar with getting the best out of him, hopefully helping him get up to speed quickly.

Beyond the on-field production, Watkins should be a mentor to the Ravens’ young wide receiver corps as well. After selecting Devin Duvernay and James Proche in the 2020 NFL draft, and losing Willie Snead and Dez Bryant this offseason, Baltimore’s wide receiver corps is pretty young. Brown is entering his third season and will be 24 years old, making him the oldest and most experienced starting wide receiver on the roster before Watkins’ signing. While Watkins hasn’t lived up to his star potential, he should be able to pass along his experience, having played on multiple teams and in multiple roles. He’s been to multiple Super Bowls, a clear goal for the Ravens, and something not a single person on Baltimore’s roster can boast. If he can bring over anything he learned at Kansas City, that experience alone is worth his price tag.

At $5 million (with another $1 million in incentives), Watkins is a steal. The Chiefs paid him a fully-guaranteed $9 million in 2020 after initially signing him to a three-year deal in 2018 worth $16 million a year on average. Barring Watkins missing a ton of time due to injuries, Baltimore should see a positive gain out of him on that small of a contract. But there lies the biggest problem with Watkins.

Over his seven-year career, Watkins has played a full 16-game season just once. Over his three years with the Chiefs, Watkins missed a total of 14 games, including six in 2020. Considering Baltimore’s run-first offense asks wide receivers to be very physical — often blocking downfield — Watkins’ injury history is a concern.

Now, this doesn’t preclude the Ravens from still addressing the position early in the 2021 NFL draft, nor should it. Watkins is on a one-year deal, making him more of a stop-gap solution rather than a permanent fix. But by having Watkins, Baltimore doesn’t have to reach for a player and they’ll have a chance to slowly bring them into the fold rather than throwing them to the wolves immediately. When looking a little closer at the Ravens’ draft strategy over the years, that’s often the path they take, rarely starting even highly-regarded rookies in Week 1.

Baltimore signing Watkins is a perfect deal if you look at it for what it truly is. He’s not a No. 1 but he wasn’t signed to be a No. 1. However, given that he excels in the role the Ravens will have for him and he’s cheap, it’s a great signing that should push Baltimore’s offense to the next level.

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Sammy Watkins leaves Baltimore without a contract, on to the Colts

The Baltimore Ravens had free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins in the building on Tuesday. While it was a “good visit,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watkins has left the area and is continuing his free-agent tour with the Indianapolis Colts on …

The Baltimore Ravens had free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins in the building on Tuesday. While it was a “good visit,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watkins has left the area and is continuing his free-agent tour with the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday.

At this stage of free agency, a player leaving the facility without a deal isn’t the greatest sign. However, it also doesn’t necessarily mean one won’t get done eventually. It’s unclear exactly why a deal didn’t come together but if Baltimore liked what they saw, it could simply be a matter of Watkins wanting to check out all of his options before making a final decision or the two sides being a little too far apart on terms to lock in a contract immediately.

While some fans haven’t been terribly excited about the prospect of signing Watkins, he’s been a positive contributor to a few teams throughout his seven-year career. Watkins isn’t the No. 1 wide receiver fans have been practically begging the team for but he should be an immediate upgrade on the outside over Miles Boykin, the biggest hole currently on Baltimore’s depth chart.

There’s also reason to believe Watkins could actually excel with the Ravens thanks to his connections to offensive coordinator Greg Roman and passing-game specialist Keith Williams. Watkins had the best season of his career under Roman, catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 2015 with the Buffalo Bills. Even over the last three years as a complimentary receiver in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, Watkins has been a pretty sure option, having a 102.2 passer rating when targeted in 2020 and a 120.2 passer rating when targeted in 2018.

The question surrounding any possible deal with Watkins would be about money. With the salary cap reduced this year, the market for wide receivers has been down, seeing some of the top options sign short-term deals for pennies on the dollar. At one point, many believed Watkins could be that No. 1 guy, paying him like it. Unfortunately, with a down market and the lack of top production, it’s unclear exactly what Watkin’s actual value is right now.

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Ravens bringing in WR Sammy Watkins for a visit

The Baltimore Ravens are bringing free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins in for a visit, potentially helping to solidify the offense.

The Baltimore Ravens have been interested in adding a wide receiver this offseason. They at least inquired about Kenny Golladay and gave a significant offer to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but failed to land either pass catcher. Now the Ravens will take a shot at another free-agent wide receiver, bringing in Sammy Watkins for a visit, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It’s a choice that makes quite a bit of sense. As I noted in our preview of the best wide receivers still remaining, Baltimore needs an outside possession receiver to match with Marquise Brown’s deep speed and tight end Mark Andrews’ ability to control the middle of the field. While Watkins hasn’t lived up to his star potential, he’s been a very serviceable player in that exact role for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs throughout his seven-year career.

Watkins also has some connections in Baltimore that could draw his interest even more. The Ravens hired Keith Williams, who has been Watkins’ personal coach before, to be their new pass-game specialist. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Watkins were paired together in Buffalo for two seasons, including 2015 which was Watkins’ best season of his career, catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns.

Fans, analysts, and even former players have been critical of the Ravens’ run-first offensive philosophy this offseason. Though the position is often one of the top needs every single offseason, having former MVP Lamar Jackson under center only highlighted Baltimore’s lack of top talent at the position. While Watkins isn’t the biggest name on the market this offseason, the Ravens’ attempts to give Jackson another premier pass-catcher is notable.

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