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James Williams' projection for 2022 and beyond

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He needs to be moved around, but ultimately he should spend the majority of his time near the line of scrimmage.

I'm a 3-4 Cover-3 fan, mainly because it's a symmetrical, versatile and easily adjustable.

Regardless, in any scheme his best fit is probably at the Sam OLB/Nickel spot. (or what Manny called Striker)
This is the strong side apex defender. There's a lot of different things you can do with that guy. He can play the flats, play man on TE's or slots, blitz off the edge, etc.

Offensive football is about utilizing space these days. Thus defensive football should be about TAKING AWAY SPACE. With his length and athleticism, his ability to take away grass (space) is a huge benefit for the defense. He can literally cover curl-to-flat at the same time, by himself. You can also forget about throwing bubble screens because he is going to manhandle the WR blocking him.

The whole reason defenses don't use Sam OLB's any more is because most offenses are spread, and LB's aren't athletic enough to play out there in space...so they sub in a Nickel. With subbing in a Nickel, you gain athleticism but you lose some physicality and size. You can exploit this by flexing a TE out, running bubble screens at the smaller Nickel back, running zone/read or option and forcing the Nickel to tackle the run, etc etc etc.

I've been saying for years, if you could ever find a guy big/physical enough to play LB, but athletic enough to play DB, he would be the prototype Nickel in today's defense. A guy whose long/athletic enough to play short/intermediate zones, physical enough to blow up bubbles, tough enough to play the run, large enough to cover TE's and aggressive enough to blitz the edge.
An athlete like James Williams is your fvckin' guy!

You make that his PRIMARY position.
From there you can put him in other spots via sub packages. He can run spot duty at Will LB or even Free Safety, rolling down in the box, blitzing, etc. He can be a Linebacker on Dime packages where he'll play man on RB's, spy the QB, blitz, etc.

Keep in mind, his ability to grasp all these different assignments will also determine how he's used.


He's definitely not a Safety in a 2-high scheme, not at this level of football. He'll get roasted. A single high structure provides a lot more flexibility for him.

Watch this kid's tape and how I used him in different spots, and you'll get an idea of what I mean. He was my Swiss army knife. A 6'1" 192lb LB/DB hybrid type. He does EVERYTHING on this tape. He sets the edge, he blitzes, he plays flats, he plays man, he plays high safety, he plays in the box, etc.


After watching that tape, picture a 6'5" 235lb 4.5/4.6 type of athlete doing those things.
I think James Williams can thrive in a role like that.
 
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Coach Macho said:
He needs to be moved around, but ultimately he should spend the majority of his time near the line of scrimmage.

I'm a 3-4 Cover-3 fan, mainly because it's a symmetrical, versatile and easily adjustable.

Regardless, in any scheme his best fit is probably at the Sam OLB/Nickel spot. (or what Manny called Striker)
This is the strong side apex defender. There's a lot of different things you can do with that guy. He can play the flats, play man on TE's or slots, blitz off the edge, etc.

Offensive football is about utilizing space these days. Thus defensive football should be about TAKING AWAY SPACE. With his length and athleticism, his ability to take away grass (space) is a huge benefit for the defense. He can literally cover curl-to-flat at the same time, by himself. You can also forget about throwing bubble screens because he is going to manhandle the WR blocking him.

The whole reason defenses don't use Sam OLB's any more is because most offenses are spread, and LB's aren't athletic enough to play out there in space...so they sub in a Nickel. With subbing in a Nickel, you gain athleticism but you lose some physicality and size. You can exploit this by flexing a TE out, running bubble screens at the smaller Nickel back, running zone/read or option and forcing the Nickel to tackle the run, etc etc etc.

I've been saying for years, if you could ever find a guy big/physical enough to play LB, but athletic enough to play DB, he would be the prototype Nickel in today's defense. A guy whose long/athletic enough to play short/intermediate zones, physical enough to blow up bubbles, tough enough to play the run, large enough to cover TE's and aggressive enough to blitz the edge.
An athlete like James Williams is your fvckin' guy!

You make that his PRIMARY position.
From there you can put him in other spots via sub packages. He can run spot duty at Will LB or even Free Safety, rolling down in the box, blitzing, etc. He can be a Linebacker on Dime packages where he'll play man on RB's, spy the QB, blitz, etc.

Keep in mind, his ability to grasp all these different assignments will also determine how he's used.


He's definitely not a Safety in a 2-high scheme, not at this level of football. He'll get roasted. A single high structure provides a lot more flexibility for him.

Watch this kid's tape and how I used him in different spots, and you'll get an idea of what I mean. He was my Swiss army knife. A 6'1" 192lb LB/DB hybrid type. He does EVERYTHING on this tape. He sets the edge, he blitzes, he plays flats, he plays man, he plays high safety, he plays in the box, etc.


After watching that tape, picture a 6'5" 235lb 4.5/4.6 type of athlete doing those things.
I think James Williams can thrive in a role like that.
Click to expand...

Good stuff Macho
 
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We’ll know right away if the defensive coaches know what they doing by the handling of James Williams. Day 1 he should be moved closer to the line and told to stop starving himself. He’s purposely dieting to not gain weight
 
Coach Macho said:
Offensive football is about utilizing space these days. Thus defensive football should be about TAKING AWAY SPACE. With his length and athleticism, his ability to take away grass (space) is a huge benefit for the defense. He can literally cover curl-to-flat at the same time, by himself. You can also forget about throwing bubble screens because he is going to manhandle the WR blocking him.
Click to expand...
God **** THIS.

All sports -- basketball, football, soccer -- is about finding space on offense and covering the space if you're on defense. Get a long, rangy dude that can eliminate pockets of space and that's the ultimate equalizer.

That's why it drives me crazy when receivers don't recognize when they're playing against zone. Pick up on it quick and run and sit in the space that's open. It's all about recognition and we need dudes who can process those things quickly.
 
streetja said:
God **** THIS.

All sports -- basketball, football, soccer -- is about finding space on offense and covering the space if you're on defense. Get a long, rangy dude that can eliminate pockets of space and that's the ultimate equalizer.

That's why it drives me crazy when receivers don't recognize when they're playing against zone. Pick up on it quick and run and sit in the space that's open. It's all about recognition and we need dudes who can process those things quickly.
Click to expand...
Thats coaching right there.. You would be surprised how many players watch little to no football.. They play it.. Probably watch nfl only as a youth, get into college if they start getting recruited in soph year on, and they play on saturdays so they dont watch it.. You have to coach that nuance type stuff, if they dont know then it goes back to the coach
 
Coach Macho said:
He needs to be moved around, but ultimately he should spend the majority of his time near the line of scrimmage.

I'm a 3-4 Cover-3 fan, mainly because it's a symmetrical, versatile and easily adjustable.

Regardless, in any scheme his best fit is probably at the Sam OLB/Nickel spot. (or what Manny called Striker)
This is the strong side apex defender. There's a lot of different things you can do with that guy. He can play the flats, play man on TE's or slots, blitz off the edge, etc.

Offensive football is about utilizing space these days. Thus defensive football should be about TAKING AWAY SPACE. With his length and athleticism, his ability to take away grass (space) is a huge benefit for the defense. He can literally cover curl-to-flat at the same time, by himself. You can also forget about throwing bubble screens because he is going to manhandle the WR blocking him.

The whole reason defenses don't use Sam OLB's any more is because most offenses are spread, and LB's aren't athletic enough to play out there in space...so they sub in a Nickel. With subbing in a Nickel, you gain athleticism but you lose some physicality and size. You can exploit this by flexing a TE out, running bubble screens at the smaller Nickel back, running zone/read or option and forcing the Nickel to tackle the run, etc etc etc.

I've been saying for years, if you could ever find a guy big/physical enough to play LB, but athletic enough to play DB, he would be the prototype Nickel in today's defense. A guy whose long/athletic enough to play short/intermediate zones, physical enough to blow up bubbles, tough enough to play the run, large enough to cover TE's and aggressive enough to blitz the edge.
An athlete like James Williams is your fvckin' guy!

You make that his PRIMARY position.
From there you can put him in other spots via sub packages. He can run spot duty at Will LB or even Free Safety, rolling down in the box, blitzing, etc. He can be a Linebacker on Dime packages where he'll play man on RB's, spy the QB, blitz, etc.

Keep in mind, his ability to grasp all these different assignments will also determine how he's used.


He's definitely not a Safety in a 2-high scheme, not at this level of football. He'll get roasted. A single high structure provides a lot more flexibility for him.

Watch this kid's tape and how I used him in different spots, and you'll get an idea of what I mean. He was my Swiss army knife. A 6'1" 192lb LB/DB hybrid type. He does EVERYTHING on this tape. He sets the edge, he blitzes, he plays flats, he plays man, he plays high safety, he plays in the box, etc.


After watching that tape, picture a 6'5" 235lb 4.5/4.6 type of athlete doing those things.
I think James Williams can thrive in a role like that.
Click to expand...


JW should be the queen of the chessboard in a modern day defense, and depending on the game plan, his role can change from week to week (this is where having a real staff is vital).

IN other words, everything Coach Macho just posted... lol
 
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TipDrill said:
No they wouldn't. Simmons & Williams are 2 inches taller and Williams will probably put on 20 more lbs. Youre comparing totally different players. They aren't in Sean's realm. They only reason they are talking about moving JW to LB is because he isn't as much of a sure thing as Sean was at DB. People never questioned Sean as a DB. It gets brought up with JW all the time because he will likely end up at LB in the league.
Click to expand...
How is J-Will not a sure thing at DB? It's like all l y'all do is read blogs to listen to other people opinion rather than watch the game. The kid has shown nothing but the fact that he can play DB, AT AN ELITE LEVEL, and you over here talking about he isn't a sure thing? SMH. Like I said, I'm pretty sure lots of people said the same thing about Sean Taylor. You only saying that now cause you've seen Sean Taylor story play out.
 
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LuCane said:
Nah. ST could have played some corner. He returned kicks in college. Can you see JW doing either? It’s not a knock on JW. You’re talking about one of the biggest athletic freaks to ever put on a helmet.
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I'm not comparing J-Will to Sean Taylor. Sean Taylor was a freak of nature and amazing. But just because Sean Taylor was that doesn't mean J-Will isn't elite. J-Will is his own player. He's an elite kid with all the tangibles to be great! Leave him where he's at.
 
Maskoff407 said:
I'm not comparing J-Will to Sean Taylor. Sean Taylor was a freak of nature and amazing. But just because Sean Taylor was that doesn't mean J-Will isn't elite. J-Will is his own player. He's an elite kid with all the tangibles to be great! Leave him where he's at.
Click to expand...
No one has said he isn't elite. We're exploring where he might be at his best. He can play some Safety in specific coverages. Clearly. He already has. I'd bet he gets moved around to different spots, but we shall see.
 
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Maskoff407 said:
How is J-Will not a sure thing at DB?Y'all really don't know football. All y'all do is read blogs and listen to other people opinion. The kid has shown nothing but the fact that he can play DB, AT AN ELITE LEVEL, and you over here talking about he isn't a sure thing? SMH. Like I said, I'm pretty sure lots of people said the same thing about Sean Taylor. You only saying that now cause you've seen Sean Taylor story play out.
Click to expand...
Lol when talking about DB Williams is know where near ST. Can Williams potentially play CB, like ST could have done if he wanted…..no. Neither is Williams a better RB or WR than ST ever was. You see the difference in their athleticism. They are not as similar as you think.
 
twes.305 said:
Lol when talking about DB Williams is know where near ST. Can Williams potentially play CB, like ST could have done if he wanted…..no. Neither is Williams a better RB or WR than ST ever was. You see the difference in their athleticism. They are not as similar as you think.
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Smh. I just don’t understand y’all level of rational thinking. ****!! 😂😂😂 Okay. So is J-Will as good as Sheldrick Redwine, Brandon Meriweather, or Kenny Phillps?
 
Maskoff407 said:
Smh. I just don’t understand y’all level of rational thinking. ****!! 😂😂😂 Okay. So is J-Will as good as Sheldrick Redwine, Brandon Meriweather, or Kenny Phillps?
Click to expand...
How many 6'5" Safeties are playing football right now?

There's a reason for that.

You think James Williams is a once-in-a-lifetime talent that somehow defies athletic physics?

Stop bringing up Sean.
Sean was 6'2" 230 not 6'5" 240+.
We've seen other Safeties the size of Sean. We've NEVER seen a Safety the size of JW.

First and foremost, James Williams struggles to tackle in space while running downhill. I've seen him get shook out of his cleats. That's one big issue right there.
 
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Coach Macho said:
He needs to be moved around, but ultimately he should spend the majority of his time near the line of scrimmage.

I'm a 3-4 Cover-3 fan, mainly because it's a symmetrical, versatile and easily adjustable.

Regardless, in any scheme his best fit is probably at the Sam OLB/Nickel spot. (or what Manny called Striker)
This is the strong side apex defender. There's a lot of different things you can do with that guy. He can play the flats, play man on TE's or slots, blitz off the edge, etc.

Offensive football is about utilizing space these days. Thus defensive football should be about TAKING AWAY SPACE. With his length and athleticism, his ability to take away grass (space) is a huge benefit for the defense. He can literally cover curl-to-flat at the same time, by himself. You can also forget about throwing bubble screens because he is going to manhandle the WR blocking him.

The whole reason defenses don't use Sam OLB's any more is because most offenses are spread, and LB's aren't athletic enough to play out there in space...so they sub in a Nickel. With subbing in a Nickel, you gain athleticism but you lose some physicality and size. You can exploit this by flexing a TE out, running bubble screens at the smaller Nickel back, running zone/read or option and forcing the Nickel to tackle the run, etc etc etc.

I've been saying for years, if you could ever find a guy big/physical enough to play LB, but athletic enough to play DB, he would be the prototype Nickel in today's defense. A guy whose long/athletic enough to play short/intermediate zones, physical enough to blow up bubbles, tough enough to play the run, large enough to cover TE's and aggressive enough to blitz the edge.
An athlete like James Williams is your fvckin' guy!

You make that his PRIMARY position.
From there you can put him in other spots via sub packages. He can run spot duty at Will LB or even Free Safety, rolling down in the box, blitzing, etc. He can be a Linebacker on Dime packages where he'll play man on RB's, spy the QB, blitz, etc.

Keep in mind, his ability to grasp all these different assignments will also determine how he's used.


He's definitely not a Safety in a 2-high scheme, not at this level of football. He'll get roasted. A single high structure provides a lot more flexibility for him.

Watch this kid's tape and how I used him in different spots, and you'll get an idea of what I mean. He was my Swiss army knife. A 6'1" 192lb LB/DB hybrid type. He does EVERYTHING on this tape. He sets the edge, he blitzes, he plays flats, he plays man, he plays high safety, he plays in the box, etc.


After watching that tape, picture a 6'5" 235lb 4.5/4.6 type of athlete doing those things.
I think James Williams can thrive in a role like that.
Click to expand...

Look at these different fronts!!! Lol, people be sayin south florida kids cant adjust...happy there's coaches like u down here to teach kids early, they will be prepared wherever they decide to go. Salute
 
Coach Macho said:
How many 6'5" Safeties are playing football right now?

There's a reason for that.

You think James Williams is a once-in-a-lifetime talent that somehow defies athletic physics?

Stop bringing up Sean.
Sean was 6'2" 230 not 6'5" 240+.
We've seen other Safeties the size of Sean. We've NEVER seen a Safety the size of JW.

First and foremost, James Williams struggles to tackle in space while running downhill. I've seen him get shook out of his cleats. That's one big issue right there.
Click to expand...
Oh! You're one of them. I get it.
 
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