The jovial, animated, talkative Jamaal Williams didn't suddenly disappear Monday as he spoke to the media huddled around his locker in the New Orleans Saints locker room.
But it was clear that Williams is much, much more ready to be about it than to talk about it. For the running back, who signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Sunday's season opener against Tennessee in the Caesars Superdome can't come soon enough.
"I'm not a real talker about it," Williams said. "I just go out there and just do it, and then after it's done I just keep on pushing. Just ready to play, honestly.
"It's been a long, long training camp. So I'm just ready to play, hit somebody else, and just go from there. Stack these wins and just go on and go on."
Williams expected to figure prominently in the Saints' run offense after rushing for 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns on 262 carries last year with the Lions. The workload may even be a bit more than the expectation early, with five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara serving a suspension for the first three games, and rookie running back Kendre Miller slowed by a hamstring injury. Miller did not practice Monday; his status likely will be revealed on Wednesday's injury report.
"That's what I do," Williams said. "I just go in, do my job, that's pretty much it. Don't put any extra pressure on myself, just go out there and when it's time for me to make a play, go make a play.
"Do my job. I've got too many great players around me for me to think that I've got to do something out of my character. So, I'm just grateful to be on a great team with a lot of great players that know how to take responsibility, be professionals and just get things done."
But, Williams admitted, a heavier workload would be fine with him.
"Who doesn't?" he said, after he was asked if he looked forward to an increase. "Just take every opportunity you get, and go from there. Just grateful for them to have trust in me to go out there and do my job, and that's what I'm going to do."
Williams said he believes he has joined an offense in which he can thrive.
"When you have receivers that are threats, and we're throwing the ball and just getting people out of the box is what I really want to get to," he said. "The more people we get out of the box – I really don't care who's in the box – but as long as we get less people in the box, I can be able to make more plays. But I'm just grateful to be on a team with a lot of weapons."
LATT BACK: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore returned to practice on a limited basis Monday. Lattimore injured his knee Aug. 18, during the second day of joint practices with the Chargers in Costa Mesa, Calif.
TE, QB: Taysom Hill is listed at quarterback on the latest roster. "Probably more of a clerical thing than anything else," Coach Dennis Allen said of the player who was previously listed at tight end. "Taysom took, I think, almost 50 percent of his snaps last year at the quarterback position. I don't know that there's anything really to that other than a guy that plays a lot of positions.
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold.
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Paulson Adebo, CB #29
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Ugo Amadi, S #0
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Zack Baun, LB #53
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Bryan Bresee, DT #90
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Derek Carr, QB #4
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Demario Davis, LB #56
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Isaiah Foskey, DE #55
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Max Garcia, G #73
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Jimmy Graham, TE #80
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Carl Granderson, DE #96
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. J.T. Gray, DB #48
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Blake Grupe, K #19
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Jake Haener, QB #14
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Lou Hedley, P #39
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Taysom Hill, TE #7
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Jordan Howden, DB #31
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. James Hurst, OL #74
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. D'Marco Jackson, LB #52
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Juwan Johnson, TE #83
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Lonnie Johnson Jr., CB #28
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Cameron Jordan, DE #94
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Alvin Kamara, RB #41
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Keith Kirkwood, WR #18
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE #92
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Marshon Lattimore, CB #23
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Tyrann Mathieu, S #32
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Marcus Maye, S #6
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Erik McCoy, C/G #78
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Kirk Merritt, WR #33
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Kendre Miller, RB #25
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Foster Moreau, TE #82
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Chris Olave, WR #12
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Andrus Peat, G/T #75
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Trevor Penning, T #70
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. A.T. Perry, WR #17
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Adam Prentice, FB #46
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Ryan Ramczyk, T #71
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Malcolm Roach, DL #97
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Cesar Ruiz, C/G #51
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Nick Saldiveri, OL #64
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Khalen Saunders, DT #99
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Nephi Sewell, LB #45
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Rashid Shaheed, WR/RS #22
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Nathan Shepherd, DT #93
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Tre'Quan Smith, WR #10
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Alontae Taylor , CB #1
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Michael Thomas, WR #13
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Payton Turner, DE #98
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Pete Werner, LB #20
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Jamaal Williams, RB #30
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Jameis Winston, QB #2
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Zach Wood, LS #49
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Isaac Yiadom, CB #27
Check out the faces of your New Orleans Saints players who will take the field during the 2023 NFL season for the Black and Gold. Landon Young, T #67
