Is Mike Williams too lazy? Shades of Michael Clayton?
by Sander on Jan 30, 2012 2:47 PM EST
in Player Analysis
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PrintRumor time! Charlie Campbell of Walter Football and formerly of Pewter Report reports that Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Williams was lazy, didn't put in the work and went out late at night. The column reads a little like a Daily News article, but Campbell does have access to inside sources and wouldn't just make up stuff like this. Here's an excerpt:
Former team staff said Williams in particular was a mess. In the beginning of the season, Williams was struggling to get separation from defensive backs. He thought he was too heavy, so he started losing weight, and by the end of the season, sources said that Williams was too frail and didn't have the strength to fight off jams and re-routes. Williams also was said to be partying a lot at night, and as a result, he was falling asleep during meetings.
Who knows whether this stuff about Mike Williams is true. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me - at least the bits about his weight. There were questions about his work ethic and dedication in college, too. He missed a year because he was academically ineligible, and 'quit' on the team (among some vague details) after getting in a late-night car accident. Even last year he was arrested for DUI late at night, although the charge was eventually dropped for lack of evidence.
Michael Clayton is a name that will immediately come to mind for many Bucs fans, but that comparison actually doesn't make a lot of sense. Michael Clayton had a good rookie year, but he was absolutely terrible afterward, never catching more than 38 passes and never topping 484 yards. While Mike Williams had a down year this season, he still produced to the tune of 65 catches, 771 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Williams was still a useful if limited player this season, and he has a chance to bounce back next year. Don't let the fact that Michael Clayton fell off the map cloud your feelings toward Mike Williams, who had a much better sophomore season than Clayton did and is much more physically gifted than Clayton ever was.
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Well I'm hoping
that because we got our asses kicked this season, ESP. Mike Williams, the fact that he sucked it up all season, I’m hoping this experience of losing wakes him up and maybe a full training camp and stuff will help him out
What is new?
We all sucked last season. It all matches up:
We gave up on the field last year, and didn’t give a crap off of it, either.
Fact: new coach, new discipline is 50% the remedy.
I can think of $50, million reasons why Dom didn’t get it done for us last year (salary cap).
I don't know
Lets remember most of the team gave up this year, so lets give him a chance next year.
He was pretty good his rookie year
Keep an eye on drops, that might be where more similarities show up.
As you can always expect come from behind victory is when you least expect it.
He improved late in the year
At least that is encouraging to me. I still think we need to try and land a great receiver via free agency. We need more competition. Williams will get a shot to turn it around next season. I hope this year was a wake up call for a lot of guys.
by aakks on Jan 30, 2012 4:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Unlike his predecessor
I don’t think Schiano will tolerate anything less than 100% effort. Last year we saw Briscoe and parker step up and Gant is waiting in the wings. I hope Williams is motivated by the thought of a real competition for the starters spot.
The biggest problem is that he didn't have a coach that was making him work hard and mature as a player.
That’s what happens when you try and play the buddy-role as a coach. The players stop respecting you and are happy to just collect their paychecks and go home.
Love Buccaneers - Hate Glazer
Absolutely
Raheem was more interested in being one of the guys and having a “posse”. You know, the kind of boss everyone likes but few actually respect.
by ncbucfan on Jan 30, 2012 3:15 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
THUGBOSS!
Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.
by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT
I have a great relationship with mine, I like and respect him!
He is my Mike Tomlin!
Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.
by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT
Sander's List
of a couple weeks back of player’s who should be concerned about their jobs this year was pretty much dead on.
His DUI arrest came at the...
…corner of HWY 301 and Causeway BLVD. I live less than 5 minutes from that intersection, and I can tell ya…there isnt ANYTHING going on our that way at 3-4 am. Had to have a booty call. jus sayin.
Young, rich NFL guys are going to live the lifestyle…it shouldn’t be major news. We just need to make sure they can dedicate themselves more…or otherwise, they’ll be out of the league as quickly as they entered it. This is where veteran leadership could go a long way. To show these kids how to be pros.
Of course we all know last year wasn't something to be proud of as a Buc fan.
Morris could talk the talk but didn’t complete everything. Schiano is the type of coach that demands perfection so the going out days are over. I think thats why Bill Belichick likes him so much. It all starts with CONTROL. T.B.A is the Buccanneer Way now GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!
It's sad to think that all this team needed was a baby sitter. And free agents.
Love Buccaneers - Hate Glazer
That's half true, as far as the free agents go
But, I think Raheem simply doesn’t have an organized mind. His press conferences certainly didn’t reflect one. You can’t successfully run an organization like an NFL team without an organized mind.
Interesting rumor
If this is true which it seems like it could be then not only does he have to prove to the new coaches that he is dedicated but he has to prove to Josh Freeman as well. You could definately tell toward the end of the season Freeman didnt trust him
by Stormin Monkee on Jan 30, 2012 3:51 PM EST via Android app reply actions
I don't think Freeman trusts his supporting cast at all. That includes Olson, Rah, Receivers, OL.......dominic...ownership...
Love Buccaneers - Hate Glazer
Very true
Maybe thats why coach Schiano in his press conference stressed 100% trust. Now that the season is over im getting the feeling like there could possibly have been a lot of rifts between players
by Stormin Monkee on Jan 30, 2012 3:58 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
I absolutely agree
I felt bad for the guy last season.
by Let's do this! on Jan 30, 2012 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
Personally,
I think he (and others) saw how inept Olson and Rah was and couldn’t help but play badly.
It's weird how Rah lost the team in London. Something happened that made our players basically give up and stop trying.
Love Buccaneers - Hate Glazer
LOL didnt they go a week early so they could be "better prepared"
by bucfanlostiniowa on Jan 30, 2012 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
This is why we should get Todd Haley.
He worked wonders with Dwayne Bowe who had similar issues before Haley got to KC. He would take Benn who has second round ability along with Mike Williams who has first round ability and make them thrive. We could have a 1-2 punch much like the Packers do with Nelson and Jennings. I know they have more quality receivers than just those two, but our two guys are similar to Nelson and Jennings if they could reach their potential.
Oderint dum metuant
hmmmm interesting.
i hope williams turns it around. this whole offense needs to be energized.
ALL ABOARD THE TRENT RICHARDSON TRAIN!!!
to be honest i love Williams
but i think we should move him to slot receiver get a big name in FA. Williams in the slot would be our Wes Welker. I think that will help alot plus help Kellen Winslow to get open more.
This is a massive insult to Welker
who is one of the hardest workers and top Wrs in the league. Mike Williams will never, ever be a "wes welker’.
No one has ever questioned Welker's work ethic
and I realize could very well be 0 truth to this claim, but generally speaking, where there’s smoke there’s fire.
Almost all top NFL players have tremendous work ethics
It’s why they’re at the top of their game. Who knows how much truth there is to this, and whether this is a long-term concern?
“He’s a hard worker” stuff gets glamorized for no good reason. Welker probably isn’t a harder worker than any of the top receivers.
I do agree with the glamorization of this
but Welker is a top player at a position where the best are usually physical specimens. A great deal of the Top WRs are either huge or have the gift of blazing speed. Welker (at least in comparison) is very average, physically. I think the fact that he’s been able to become so great, despite not having those physical gifts, is a huge reflection of his work ethic.
You can’t argue that it’s much easier for a guy like Calvin Johnson to be good, than it is for a guy like Wes Welker.
Welker is a physical specimen too, in a different sense
He has tremendous short-area quickness and explosion, and a great ability to gain yards after the catch. The reason he’s so productive is because of the way he’s used fits his physical skillset so well. If you put him on the outside and had him run the routes Calvin Johnson runs no work ethic in the world could make him productive.
His production is a reflection of the player fitting the system (and the system being molded to the player) more than him having a better work ethic.
I agree that he fits the system well, and vice versa
but you can’t really knock his work ethic. Generally speaking, the best athletes in professional sports are all hard workers, otherwise they wouldn’t be the best. Welker could very well be a slacker, we don’t really know, but you can make an educated guess and say he works hard off of facts that we do know.
I'm not knocking his work ethic
I’m just saying it’s nothing special compared to other top NFL players.
I don't think Williams has the toughness to play underneith
Remember him gettin’ pounded by Gholson(maybe it was Whitner) and fumbling ball?? Linebacker might of injured him.
Benn is plenty big enough to play slot...
and replace him with the outside speed guy we need.
by Cracker Ball on Jan 30, 2012 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
This reason alone begs that we need an outside threat.
The Glazers and Dom are hopefully active in FA and pick up someone that can spread the field..
East Coast Fan
Benn has not done all that much...
with his CB match-ups and believe we need a true deep threat outside. Williams is better outside than Benn, so it stands to reason that you’d want your 3 best WRs on the field together – so Benn gets pushed inside. Only one that is big enough to take that beating, and actually creates a nightmare match-up for a LB. Must commit a S to him.
by Cracker Ball on Jan 31, 2012 12:00 AM EST up reply actions
Ahh
I hate the “hard-worker” label. I don’t like to pull the race card but it seems like people like to use “hard work” as an excuse for white players success. Welker, Tebow, Tyler Hansborough, they’re all such “hard workers”… Not saying they’re not hard workers, but certainly there are plenty of black athletes who work just as hard and don’t get the recognition.
Mojo: The libido. The life force. The essence. The right stuff. What the French call a certain... I don't know what.
Jared Allen was telling the other d-lineman that during the pro bowl.
He was making a joke of how he can never be talented, only hard working because of his color.
Oderint dum metuant
Making a joke is one thing...
but a serious comment like the one above only agitates the stereotypes.
by Cracker Ball on Jan 30, 2012 7:26 PM EST up reply actions
the story is kinda true
i am new to tampa bay and i enjoy stepping out on the weekends and i am a big time bucs fan, and the first night i stepped out i seen mike williams and a bunch of other young bucs in clubs all over tampa. i even seen them out during the weekdays and sometimes before game days so as far as partying yes i think they did that a little too much but it wasnt just mike williams who was out all the time, but the others will remain nameless. They need the discipline and to regain the focus and the hunger to win and most importantly they NEED AN OFFSEASON and i think we will be back to where we need to be next season….GO BUCS!!!
Just because they go to the clubs
doesnt mean they are bad football players. Look at LT back in the day, probably the greatest LB of all time and I promiss you he partied more than any player on the Bucs this year
And now he's getting accused having sex with underage prostitutes...
Not sure that flies in TBA world…
Am I going MAD, or did the word "think" escape your lips?
Im not saying I would want him on our team
just saying he performed at a high level while partying his ass off
I'm pulling for Mike
I look at more than just his stats. Having said that, I think 65 catches and 770 yards is pretty darn good considering the awful play of Freeman and the even worse play calling of Olsen. If Schiano sticks to his guns and actually plays physical offense with Blount running hard and getting his carries(at least 20) and throws the ball down field, Williams be back to his former self. Now he needs to hold on to the football. Too many fumbles and dropped passes last year.
by Da' Shwashbuckler on Jan 30, 2012 7:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Williams was much more at fault for his numbers than Freeman
Can’t get the ball to a guy who can’t get open and can’t make contested catches.
^^^ THIS
Very true Sander. Though Freeman had his own issues, I think his issues were more a part of his recievers inability to get open on a consistent basis….
East Coast Fan
Nominating Freeman
for comeback player of the year next season.
by number40ismyhero on Jan 30, 2012 9:39 PM EST up reply actions
Somebody coming off an injury will win that.
770 yards can almost make you think " he wasn’t that bad" but he was horrible
by Carlitin1988 on Jan 31, 2012 10:00 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
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