Packers Daily Links: TE D.J. Williams Wants Larger Role

Tight end D.J. Williams recently expressed his desire to become a starter. That and more in today's Daily Links...

In an interview with Fox Sports Wisconsin, now third-year tight end D.J. Williams expressed his desire to have a larger role with the Green Bay Packers. "I want to be the starting tight end," Williams is quoted as saying by reporter Paul Imig. "I would expect them all (the rest of the Packers' tight ends) to say the same thing. That's our room and how it goes." Despite putting up big statistics in college, Williams only has a total of nine receptions in his first two NFL seasons. There's an opportunity for increased playing time with Tom Crabtree leaving in free agency, but Andrew Quarless will return from injury in 2013 and the Packers could add another tight end in the Draft. If Williams wants to start, he's going to have to make a big leap and earn it.

Running back DuJuan Harris was also recently interviewed, this article appearing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where he talked about how his past few months have gone. "This off-season is the same way I've been treating it - not really thinking about what's going to happen in the future," Harris is quoted as saying by reporter Tyler Dunne. "I still look at it like this. I've been cut twice. I know how it feels. So I'm just taking it day by day. Nothing is guaranteed. I try not to think about the future." Harris appears to be taking a wise approach to his role and job security with the Packers. He also mentioned how people already have him penciled into making the 53-man roster, but he's not taking anything for granted. Good for Harris, he's saying all the right things.

Lombardi Ave. picks up where Walter Football left off in a report about NFL Draft prospect Barrett Jones of Alabama and how a lisfranc injury could land him on the PUP list to open the season. "For months, those following the Green Bay Packers have pegged Jones as the perfect first round choice for the team," writes Raymond Rivard. "The versatility he showed at Alabama impressed a lot of the experts who projected him as a first round selection." Granted, the report from Walter Football is listed in the "rumor mill," but it's not exactly coming out of left field seeing as Jones has not participated at either the NFL Combine or the Alabama pro day. The question is, how much do you downgrade a player who might miss the beginning of his rookie season but still could go onto a long and productive career?

Over the weekend, both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Green Bay Press-Gazette took a look at general manager Ted Thompson and the Packers' approach to free agency. Both are worth reading if you haven't gotten to them already.

Another popular topic is the Packers' salary cap and there are multiple pieces appearing at AllGreenBayPackers.com, Acme Packing Company and Packer Report all taking a look at the salary cap and the contract situations of Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews.

Acme Packing Company takes a look at the safety position in Green Bay heading into the NFL Draft.

Lombardi Ave. has a pair of blog posts on first round NFL Draft projections and former Packers tight end Keith Jackson.

Packer Report has a profile on New Hampshire defensive end Jared Smith.

Brian Carriveau is the author of "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor of Cheesehead TV's "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].

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Comments (5)

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Larry R's picture

March 25, 2013 at 08:24 am

if williams was ever smart enough to learn the playbook he might get more time

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Lou's picture

March 25, 2013 at 09:47 am

For a team described to McCarhy's disdain as "soft" taking a soft rolly polly Barrett Jones with their number 1 pick know matter how many positions he may play, how much technique he knows makes no sense at all. UW's center Konz was supposed to be the Packers number 1 pick last year also and couldn't do 9 reps on the bench press, the real "tough" guy was Zeitler. Mark Tauscher (Ron Wolf called him the Pillsbury Doughboy) looked soft but was not, don't take a chance with Jones doing the same. Spend the pick on a DE or OT where all the question marks are.

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Mojo's picture

March 25, 2013 at 11:32 am

I have no problem with D.J. Williams wanting to be a starter. Actually I'd have a problem if he didn't want to be. The question is, whether he has the size to be a decent blocker. Course, the blocking concept isn't Finley's forte either.

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Bibbon Hazel's picture

March 25, 2013 at 12:14 pm

How you going to be the "nations best" TE coming out of college and catch a measley 9 freakin balls your first two years? I guess that 5th round pick wasnt as much of a steal as I had thought or there is something seriously wrong with him mentally to not move past Crabtree for more playing time last year. Maybe he just needs a chance, maybe he is dumb as sin! IDK. Step it up Williams! You were looking good in camp only to disappear come season kickoff. Time to disappear off the roster if you cant break out a little more!

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Texanna's picture

April 13, 2013 at 02:19 pm

I don't think the problems lies with D.J. Williams. I think the young man have not been given the chance to adequately show what he can do. He is not "as dumb as sin" as you put it. Any one who talks to him for more that 5 minutes can figure that out. How many times does he have to own training camp before somebody in the Packers organization decides to use him effectively?

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