Williams, defense garnering attention at Saints camp

Written by Les East | Friday, 31 July 2009 18:19 | Saints News

The combination of Williams being New Orleans' most-ballyhooed offseason acquisition and the fact that he hadn't talked to local reporters since LSU's Pro Day in March made him a prime target for the media.

Williams began his talk by speaking in a low whisper, saying he had lost his voice. He answered one question in that tone before being asked how long he would continue to whisper.

"Until somebody asks an intelligent question," he joked in a more normal tone of voice.

Williams was in a playful and thoughtful mood as he answered questions for more than 22 minutes.

Some highlights from his talk (Gregg Williams transcript):

The Saints have more talent on defense than the media gives them credit for.

He was tempted to take jobs with the Titans, because he had worked there before and because Jeff Fisher is a close friend, or the Packers, because he likes Mike McCarthy and thinks they are a talented team like New Orleans.

A major factor in choosing the Saints was the presence of quarterback Drew Brees.

"I tried to draft Drew Brees when I was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills," Williams said. "One of the reasons I'm no longer the head coach of the Buffalo Bills is we didn't draft Drew Brees."

Williams estimated that he has interviewed about 2,000 college players at the NFL Combine over the years and said Brees "has to be" among the top five most impressive to him.

He clearly relishes matching wits with Brees in practice, saying both he and the quarterback are already using "dummy calls" to try and throw the other side off. After admitting to an obvious bias, Williams said the defense "won" both practices Friday by a large margin.

Williams said every defensive player has to be versatile - defensive backs have to be able to play corner and safety, linebackers have to be able to play end, ends have to be able to play linebacker.

He said they will have enough packages that everyone's talents will be utilized to the fullest, and promised when the opportunity arises he will put "all the fastest guys we have on the field at the same time."

Williams explained why he insists on each of his players swarming to every loose ball, including incomplete passes. "You know why they keep score in a game, right?" Williams asked. "We want to know who won every single play. When we meet after practice the players will know who won on every single play. We'll give them stickers and candy bars."

He said there is one exception to the rule: don't go for the ball if it's near Brees' hands or feet, though backups - "poor" Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington - won't be afforded the same luxury.

During practice, the defense ran a series of turnover-related drills, including one in which loose balls are tossed onto the field toward a group of defenders. Each group has one more defender than footballs and the odd man out has to do 10 push-ups on the spot.

Williams emphasized that there are no starters on defense and promised that there will be "shocks and surprises all training camp long."

He said every play will be undergoing an "interview" during training camp. They have to be "accountable and available" every single day.

He seemed less concerned about the holdout of No. 1 draft pick Malcolm Jenkins, a cornerback from Ohio State, than one might expect. He said he's not worried because Jenkins participated in "a healthy number" of Organized Team Activities and won't have a huge learning curve when he arrives.

Speaking of Jenkins, Saints head coach Sean Payton said there wasn't anything new to report on his contract negotiations.

• Sean Payton, post-afternoon transcript

Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle greeted reporters as they walked along the sideline during practice. When asked for a prediction on the season, Benson said he's anticipating "a hell of a year."

Friday's afternoon practice, which was moved indoors because of rain, lasted about 90 minutes, half an hour shorter than the morning workout, which is the norm for two-a-days.

The Saints are scheduled to practice twice Saturday - at 8:50 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Both are scheduled to be outside and open to the public, weather permitting.

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