The much-scrutinized Demetrius Williams aced the first practice of the most important training camp of his NFL career Tuesday. Now he has to do it for 25 more days and 39 more practices to assure the Ravens that he is who they say he is.
If the 26-year-old wide receiver finally is going to escape the shadows and realize his raw potential, he needs to start here, in Westminster, where the need has never been greater, and now, his fourth season.
So far, flashes of brilliance have been tempered by durability issues and an almost-chronic ankle problem. But Williams envisions a breakthrough in a summer when the Ravens are contemplating life after Derrick Mason.
"I've got all that stuff behind me," Williams promised after the first workout for rookies and select veterans at McDaniel College. "Now I'm ready to go out and play."
All eyes were on the 6-foot-2, muscled-up 202-pound receiver Tuesday morning to measure his progress since he underwent surgery in November for an Achilles tendon injury. Perhaps no one watched more intently than wide receivers coach Jim Hostler, who also paid close attention to veteran Mark Clayton, who is coming back from a foot injury.
Clayton went through his conditioning test and then stepped in to work in a three-receiver package with Williams. First impressions were golden.
"He looked good out here today," coach John Harbaugh said of Williams. "There was no indication of the Achilles [injury] at all. I thought he had a good practice."
Hostler was equally pleased.
"I really feel good where they are," he said. "I feel really good where Demetrius is because the limp is gone."
Williams said he has packed 15 pounds of muscle onto his sprinter's frame without sacrificing any of his sprinter's speed. In an offense that might have to play without Mason, who has tentatively retired, Williams will be a vital cog in keeping Joe Flacco's passing game in the fast lane.
When the organized team activities ended in June, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said Williams needed to prove he could stay healthy in order to help the team.
"I haven't talked in detail about [Cameron's] expectations," Williams said. "We talked about it the year before, so I kind of know where he stands. I'm definitely going to try to make the change, as far as him being able to depend on me."
By the time camp breaks Aug. 23, Hostler wants Williams to have built up the trust of his teammates and especially his quarterback.
