Lineman having rugged transition back to NFL
ASHBURN – The triple whammy goes like this for Mike Williams: needed to lose one hundred pounds; hadn’t played in the league since 2005; and was not considered a good player before leaving the NFL the first time.
And yet.
The Redskins touted him as a potential starter at right tackle, either a sign of their desperation or of his near-miraculous turnaround.
Not surprisingly, the obstacles have popped up with Williams. He is dealing with a lower abdominal strain. And three years worth of rust. And now lots of criticism. Williams has not looked sharp through the first week of camp and missed time with his injury.
“That’s the nature of the game,” he said. “It’s not going to bother me because I know what I need to do. Yeah, it’s been a while so you’re going to be rusty. It’s the same thing for a rookie; they need to relearn, too.”
When the Redskins signed Williams, he was supposed to provide competition for Stephon Heyer at right tackle. The Redskins liked Williams enough this spring to release Jon Jansen. The Redskins clearly expected him to play at a certain level, despite plenty of obstacles in front of him.
Now they say they expected a rugged transition for Williams.
“We understood that,” Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. “We’re bringing him along slowly. It’s like starting over for Mike. He has a chance. He’s come light years for being out of football for three years. The guy is a very smart guy and he’s just learning the system right now.”
Williams is still getting used to the way Bugel wants him to engage defensive linemen with his punch. It’s different than what he had done before, not to mention that he last played in a game in the 2005 season.
To help, Williams stays after practice for extra repetitions, by himself and with Bugel. Williams admitted the groin was a setback, especially if his goal is to start. And the severe weight loss — 100 pounds since February — contributed to some dehydration issues early in camp.
But he considers himself further ahead than he anticipated before camp.
“The rust is less than what I thought it would be,” Williams said. “When you think about three years off and still knowing how to kickstep. We’re still physical; that’s my thing. But there are things with this offense that you have to learn. It’s not just second nature.”
But Williams said he remains confident he can win the starting job.
“The run is not over,” he said. “We haven’t played a game yet. Let’s not just get into who’s in, who’s out, who’s this, who’s that. If I can lose 30 pounds in a month, I definitely can do that.”
Skins Notes
» Right tackle Jeremy Bridges (sprained ankle) and running back Anthony Alridge (sprained toe) did not practice Sunday. Both were hurt in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. Corner Kevin Barnes hyperextended his left knee Saturday, but managed to practice, albeit at less than full speed in the morning. He did not practice in the afternoon.
Receivers Santana Moss (hamstring) and Devin Thomas (hamstring) did not practice in the morning. Thomas was limited in the afternoon.
Others who were limited in the afternoon: right tackle Mike Williams (groin), right guard Randy Thomas (knee) and corner Carlos Rogers (calf). Williams did take a couple snaps with the second team offensive line in 11-on-11 drills. Thomas and Rogers only participated in individual drills.
» Sunday marked the hottest day of training camp, with the heat index at 107 degrees in Ashburn for the afternoon session. The temperature was 99 degrees. The Redskins worked in shells — foam pads instead of shoulder pads — and helmets for 90 minutes.
» Redskins coach Jim Zorn on the chemistry along the offensive line: “We’ve got several guys down so, through no fault of their own, it’s something that hasn’t developed the way we wanted it to develop.”
