Trent Williams

[KazooSkinsFan]

It was more that he had bad plays then he was as bad on every play. Yeah, there were too many. But for a Sophomore who had no off season, a struggle to start the season is a likelier scenario and he's in the hardest, most high profile position. I'm just saying it's a bit soon to panic. But he's got to play better next week for sure.

[Skinsfan55]

I don't think Trent Williams has ANY character concerns. That's an important distinction to make. He's a good guy, solid citizen and he's never been in trouble. However, he does have some concerns about work ethic.

There's a quote in "The Blind Side" attributed to Bill Parcells that says "...even in the NFL a lot of players [are] more concerned with seeming to want to win than actually winning, and many of them [don't] know the difference." That doesn't make you a good or a bad guy it's just how much you're willing to work. Do you go to work to be the best damn [fill in the blank] you can possibly be so you can become CEO of the company or do you just want to do your work, get your money and go home to your family? It's just a fact of life that most people are the latter. That level of ambition is uncommon even among NFL players.

That's not to say Trent Williams isn't ambitious or that he won't become a fine NFL tackle, but it's something to think about.

[The Hogster]

I don't think Trent Williams has ANY character concerns. That's an important distinction to make. He's a good guy, solid citizen and he's never been in trouble. However, he does have some concerns about work ethic.

There's a quote in "The Blind Side" attributed to Bill Parcells that says "...even in the NFL a lot of players [are] more concerned with seeming to want to win than actually winning, and many of them [don't] know the difference." That doesn't make you a good or a bad guy it's just how much you're willing to work. Do you go to work to be the best damn [fill in the blank] you can possibly be so you can become CEO of the company or do you just want to do your work, get your money and go home to your family? It's just a fact of life that most people are the latter. That level of ambition is uncommon even among NFL players.

That's not to say Trent Williams isn't ambitious or that he won't become a fine NFL tackle, but it's something to think about.

I agree somewhat. But, this tendency is maginfied in the NFL because you need guys who will have that level of motivation even though they've already been paid a ton of money.

A guy like Trent spent his first summer ever with a load of cash and free time in his pocket. He's playing like he took the time off to play rather than improve his game. Hopefully the embarassment of film review will kick in.

[SkinsJock]

We do not have a lot of depth along the O line - T Williams will be held accountable for his play and his work ethic - This group will help him show that he not only can be better but that he will make EVERY effort to get better
... OR HE WILL NOT PLAY


we do have a depth issue at many positions but this franchise is evolving and NOBODY gets to just 'show up' and put on a B&G uniform anymore

I hope that this kid gets the message soon - I'm sure he will be getting a lot of support to show that he can be a better player

[CanesSkins26]

The main knock against left tackle Trent Williams before the draft seemed to be the questions surrounding his work ethic, commitment to the gym and practice habits. We decided to seek out someone who would be in position to address these concerns: Jerry Schmidt, Oklahoma's director of sports enhancement whose duties are similar to those of a strength and conditioning coach.

On one hand, Schmidt made clear that Williams has incredible potential. On the other, well, we'll let Schmidt's words speak for themselves.

"He's one of those guys, he's definitely not a gym rat. If he was, there wouldn't be anybody even close to him," Schmidt said. "If he really committed himself, it wouldn't even be close. He'd be the best ever. That's how much talent he's got. There's a lot of talent there that he just hasn't tapped."


Schmidt said that Williams walked on campus as a freshmen and immediately impressed everyone with his abilities.

"He's got a lot of natural, God-given ability. He's got great feet, balance, which allows him to play both guard and tackle," Schmidt said. "Even as a young player, you could tell right away how talented he was. He has a great upper-body, just real natural strength. You look at him, the way he runs, there's not many athlete that big who can run like that. He's a very talented guy."

The key, he says, is maximizing that talent. That will take a sincere personal commitment from Williams. Some people around the league have questioned whether a big contract and an immediate starting position would push Williams to work hard as a pro. But Williams is already talking about Pro Bowls and Super Bowls, which you don't earn by simply setting foot on the Radio City Music Hall stage and holding up an NFL jersey.

"My biggest thing with him, right now he's got the talent to be the best that's ever come out of here. He was one of the best," Schmidt said. "If he put his mind to it and really went after it, the sky's the limit for him. He could go to the Pro Bowl as many times as he wants. But it's on him, how hard he wants to play, how much he puts into it, how good he wants to be."

At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Williams blew scouts away with his sprint times. On the bench press, he lifted 225 pounds a total of 23 times. For a comparison, Russell Okung, with longer arms, did 38 reps.

"If he committed himself a little more, like I said, whatever he puts his mind to, he can do. If he decides he wants to do 35 reps off the bench, he could work towards that and he could get there," Schmidt said. "It depends on how much time and effort he wants to put into it.
He's going to be as good as he puts his mind to be."

Washington Coach Mike Shanahan said that he consulted with Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops prior to the draft. Schmidt said he's also been in regular contact with members of the Redskins staff. He praised Williams's feet, his punch, his balance and quickness. Schmidt says Williams "has got it all."

The goal for Redskins coaches will be to maximize all of it.

"They knew what he's all about it. I told them," he said. "I mean, I told them this guy is capable of great things."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/the-main-knock-against-left.html

[The Hogster]

He plays like a guy who doesn't work hard. On one play he looks like Walter Jones. On others he looks like he doesn't even belong out there.

To me that says that either (i) he's not giving consistent effort on every play or (ii) his endurance is questionable, or (iii) he is not studying his opponents and their tendencies/moves enough.

Either way, he needs to get it in gear. I'm surprised the local media hasn't asked Shanahan for his thoughts on this being that he obviously whiffed on several plays.

[die cowboys die]

some veteran leaders on the team need to grab hold of him and beat him in the face, hard-- and let him know it's going to keep happening and keep getting worse until/unless he gets his crap together and starts playing more like the #4 overall pick in the entire draft should. i am not kidding in the slightest.

[The Hogster]

Now he's apparently blaming Kory for what appeared to be his getting beaten.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/foo ... _blog.html

All I know is what I saw. JPP came untouched inside. Trent lunged toward his left. There was nobody to Trent's left to block. So whether or not Kory was supposed to pick him up is still somewhat irrelevant if Trent recognizes there's nobody outside. Block your man. That's what we're taught early at least.

[Irn-Bru]

Hmm. Not encouraging developments, IMO. Williams is our highest paid player this year . . . I'd like to see us get more value out of him.

But Shanahan was encouraged, and I do take his evaluations seriously.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Now he's apparently blaming Kory for what appeared to be his getting beaten.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/foo ... _blog.html

All I know is what I saw. JPP came untouched inside. Trent lunged toward his left. There was nobody to Trent's left to block. So whether or not Kory was supposed to pick him up is still somewhat irrelevant if Trent recognizes there's nobody outside. Block your man. That's what we're taught early at least.

1. What any of us saw is irrelevant if that wasn't his assignment. You can't go and do someone elses job and then blow your own.

2. You say "block your man" to Trent but it wasn't HIS man, according to him. So, what's your point?

We don't know if this is true or not, being that he made this public I'm sure Mike will clarify this. It's clear that Trent wasn't on his A game but the amount of criticism has been a bit of an overreaction and this may explain a bit of it.

[The Hogster]

Now he's apparently blaming Kory for what appeared to be his getting beaten.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/foo ... _blog.html

All I know is what I saw. JPP came untouched inside. Trent lunged toward his left. There was nobody to Trent's left to block. So whether or not Kory was supposed to pick him up is still somewhat irrelevant if Trent recognizes there's nobody outside. Block your man. That's what we're taught early at least.

1. What any of us saw is irrelevant if that wasn't his assignment. You can't go and do someone elses job and then blow your own.

2. You say "block your man" to Trent but it wasn't HIS man, according to him. So, what's your point?

We don't know if this is true or not, being that he made this public I'm sure Mike will clarify this. It's clear that Trent wasn't on his A game but the amount of criticism has been a bit of an overreaction and this may explain a bit of it.

Piere Paul is a defensive end. Trent wound up blocking nobody. Kory blocked down on the D Tackle. At some point, you have to play football. If there's nobody to your outside, block the man in front of you before you don't block anybody.

[DarthMonk]

Now he's apparently blaming Kory for what appeared to be his getting beaten.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/foo ... _blog.html

All I know is what I saw. JPP came untouched inside. Trent lunged toward his left. There was nobody to Trent's left to block. So whether or not Kory was supposed to pick him up is still somewhat irrelevant if Trent recognizes there's nobody outside. Block your man. That's what we're taught early at least.

1. What any of us saw is irrelevant if that wasn't his assignment. You can't go and do someone elses job and then blow your own.

2. You say "block your man" to Trent but it wasn't HIS man, according to him. So, what's your point?

We don't know if this is true or not, being that he made this public I'm sure Mike will clarify this. It's clear that Trent wasn't on his A game but the amount of criticism has been a bit of an overreaction and this may explain a bit of it.

Piere Paul is a defensive end. Trent wound up blocking nobody. Kory blocked down on the D Tackle. At some point, you have to play football. If there's nobody to your outside, block the man in front of you before you don't block anybody.

Video on this play after 30 sec commercial.

A backer walks up to the line to cover our slot man near Williams. There is a slight chance the backer will rush but he never tips that at all. At the snap the backer moves with the slot man. Williams is backpedaling immediately and actually engages the end but then releases him even though his only other possible responsibility is running down field with Santana Moss.

This is a bad play by Trent. He is not physically beaten at all. He is lacking in mental recognition leading to horrible execution.

That is in sharp contrast to Kerrigan's interception.

Forced fumble video link:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-york-gian ... 5d822248e7

Kerrigan video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8obQpk3ZK4

Great details of Kerrigan's play:

By Daniel Shiferaw

Pre-Snap
It is third-and-11 on the Giants' 19-yard line, and the Redskins are in a bind. As Manning comes to the line of scrimmage, he looks around and sees the Redskins coming in a maximum blitz. Barking out signals from shotgun, he changes the play at the line of scrimmage to exploit Washington’s aggression.

"The crazy part [about Kerrigan’s play] is we had a max blitz," defensive captain London Fletcher says. "They checked to a ‘Rocket Screen.’" Sound familiar??!!

That meant the ball is coming Kerrigan’s way. "Rocket Screen" is designed to be a quick hitch to Hakeem Nicks, who would then run behind the vacated area for what would be a big play offensively for the Giants.

The blitzers are Fletcher, linebacker Rocky McIntosh, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe and, of course, Kerrigan. The Purdue product is lined up outside of right tackle Kareem McKenzie’s outside shoulder. He is planning on turning the corner on him and engaging Manning.

But before he blitzes, Kerrigan notices that the Giants’ quarterback has called an audible. He immediately realizes a quick pass is coming in his direction.

"I knew it was a quick pass, because [McKenzie] was trying to cut [block] me," the rookie recalls after the game.

The play itself

McKenzie goes low to block Kerrigan, but the Redskins’ top draft choice is quickly able to shed that block. Most importantly, he keeps his hands where they needed to be in order to make a play on the ball. It comes down to a very basic principle about being a linebacker at any level of football. If you can’t shed a block, you can’t make a play.

Kerrigan is able to do that in his first regular season game playing his new position, which is something that isn’t lost on his teammates.

"It’s very difficult [do shed a cut block]," linebacker Brian Orakpo says. "Because you want to get after the quarterback and all of a sudden, they go low on you."

From there, it is all about instincts and hand-eye coordination. Kerrigan bats the ball high into the air. At that point, most fans would have settled for the deflection, as it would have simply ended the drive. But Kerrigan’s awareness after the ball is deflected is what changes the game. He tracks the ball mid-air and comes down with it, rumbling his way into the endzone to give the Redskins a lead they would never relinquish. It is his first defensive touchdown since high school.

"That wasn’t too much coverage right there," he says of the play. "That was just playing the cut block and getting my hands up, and fortunately the ball found my hands twice and I got into the endzone"

Aftermath

As the stadium explodes in jubilation, Kerrigan’s teammates swarm him in the end zone. They mob him, as if to say, ‘Welcome to the NFL!'

It's the type of play that shows the Redskins veterans and coaches what they can expect from a player that can make plays no matter where he is lined up. It's the type of play that makes the team's brain trust know they made the right decision to trade down and select him in the 2011 NFL Draft. It's the type of play that Kerrigan himself will remember forever, seeing as it was his first touchdown since high school.

"I just remember not really being able to see anything as I was getting mauled by my teammates," Kerrigan says. "[I’ll remember] just a great feeling that was. A moment I will always remember."

Most importantly, it was the type of play that won a game. From that point on, everything changed on Sunday.

DarthMonk

[Skinsfan55]

We knew when Williams came in he was a little raw. He's still a textbook type left tackle. Strong as an ox, fast, quick, big hands, long arms you can't teach that stuff. Seems like his mistakes are mental, and while that's unfortunate, you can overcome them.

[PulpExposure]

[ It's clear that Trent wasn't on his A game

Not to him, apparently.

Fans may believe that left tackle Trent Williams struggled at times against the New York Giants on Sunday, but the second-year pro said he feels pretty good about his Week 1 performance.

“Week 1 went well for me,” said Williams, whom Washington drafted fourth overall in 2010. “After watching the film and reviewing everything, I felt good.”

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul recorded two sacks and a forced fumble last week, facing off primarily with Williams. But Williams didn’t come away overly impressed.

“He didn’t wow me, if that’s what you’re asking,” Williams said. “He’s a great player. He came in and did his job. He was alright.”

I wish all of our defensive players could be "alright" and get 2 sacks and 1 FF a week...

[DarthMonk]

We knew when Williams came in he was a little raw. He's still a textbook type left tackle. Strong as an ox, fast, quick, big hands, long arms you can't teach that stuff. Seems like his mistakes are mental, and while that's unfortunate, you can overcome them.

+1

Let's hope he overcomes them. I feel the same way about Gano.

DarthMonk

[Red_One43]

Greg Cosell from NFL Films said, on 106.7 THE FAN (DC Area) that Trent Williams problem is that he doesn't get his hands on the DE fast enough. He said Trent's footwork is where it needs to be and that he has the althletic ability to do be one of the best left tackles.

[yupchagee]

[ It's clear that Trent wasn't on his A game

Not to him, apparently.

Fans may believe that left tackle Trent Williams struggled at times against the New York Giants on Sunday, but the second-year pro said he feels pretty good about his Week 1 performance.

“Week 1 went well for me,” said Williams, whom Washington drafted fourth overall in 2010. “After watching the film and reviewing everything, I felt good.”

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul recorded two sacks and a forced fumble last week, facing off primarily with Williams. But Williams didn’t come away overly impressed.

“He didn’t wow me, if that’s what you’re asking,” Williams said. “He’s a great player. He came in and did his job. He was alright.”

I wish all of our defensive players could be "alright" and get 2 sacks and 1 FF a week...

Neild did just that- in only 4 snaps!

[SkinsJock]

Trent Williams and the Redskins offensive line will get better each week

this unit was a mess and is coming together - give it time


Williams is going to get an awful lot of support & help to ensure he becomes a really good LT

[PulpExposure]

Gotta follow up and say I was really happy with how he played this week. Hopefully he'll do the same next week!

[chiefhog44]

Gotta follow up and say I was really happy with how he played this week. Hopefully he'll do the same next week!

+1

[SkinsJock]

Williams is going to be a part of a very good offensive line here for years

just like a fine wine - it takes time


it's a lot easier to look good when the unit your're playing with includes a lot of other good players - like our defensive front 7


We are very lucky these guys brought Trent Williams in here - this O line will continue to improve

[langleyparkjoe]

Williams is going to be a part of a very good offensive line here for years

just like a fine wine - it takes time


it's a lot easier to look good when the unit your're playing with includes a lot of other good players - like our defensive front 7


We are very lucky these guys brought Trent Williams in here - this O line will continue to improve

..but in the meantime he's up against Ware next!

[Skinsfan55]

Williams is going to be a part of a very good offensive line here for years

just like a fine wine - it takes time


it's a lot easier to look good when the unit your're playing with includes a lot of other good players - like our defensive front 7


We are very lucky these guys brought Trent Williams in here - this O line will continue to improve

Okay, I believe they can improve and turn this thing around, but saying it takes time implies that the players needed to build a top shelf line are here right now. So far we have:

-An underperforming LT
-A LG who looks like he may become a solid NFL player
-An unproven C who has never been considered a real NFL prospect
-A guy at RG who has consistently been outplayed by his teammates in Baltimore only playing due to injury
-A RT who used to play on the other side, was highly decorated but who had the worst season of their career last year

It's not that close to being a "very good" offensive line. They've been solid so far with so few penalties, but let's give this another year or so and let Shanahan evaluate and add more players.

[Deadskins]

let's give this another year or so and let Shanahan evaluate and add more players.

No way, I think we should stick with these same five forever.

[Skinsfan55]

let's give this another year or so and let Shanahan evaluate and add more players.

No way, I think we should stick with these same five forever.

Well the way it was worded implied that we were close or that we had the pieces now, as far as I can tell we have one, maybe two pieces.

Granted, Shanahan has always had pretty good offensive lines, and Bruce Allen always had a pretty good on in TB but it's a little early to say we're going to have a very good line for a long time.