The tight end position is often overlooked for the Arizona Cardinals. It is a position where the team has not had big production really since Hall of Famer Jackie Smith left the team in 1978.
However, despite being overlooked, it is an important position for the offense and Maxx Williams leads the way.
Williams, of course, never was really healthy last season. He missed seven games with an ankle injury that bothered him all last season. It started before training camp, he played in the opener, had surgery after that, returned and still worked through it.
He “never really got comfortable” with the ankle, he told reporters last week.
His ankle is fine now.
“It’s great just to finally feel good, have a good actual offseason of training a good summer and come in and feel good about this camp,” he said.
Coming back healthy this season was what his major goal was.
“For me, it was to get healthy and then really get myself back into shape where I wanted to be, where I could come into camp and the season confidently to play some really good football again,” he said.
He was critical to the offensive success late in 2019, his first season with the team. He isn’t a big pass catcher but earned high marks for his blocking.
He likes to call the tight ends’ role in the offense as “problem solvers,” whether that is catching passes, being a target in the red zone or blocking.
“I think you guys have seen the last two years with Kliff, it’s whatever he needs us to do,” he said of the role he and others at his position could play. “We’re problem solvers. Whatever they need us to do, whatever they ask us to do, we’re not going to complain, we’re going to go out and play our game and do it to the best of our abilities.”
A healthy Williams gives them someone who is a very good blocker and has the ability to catch passes. In 2019, when head coach Kliff Kingsbury raved about Williams’ play, which earned him a contract extension, he still only had 15 catches all season.
If he has more than 20 this coming season, it will be surprising, especially with the receiving corps they have and the pass-catching ability of running back Chase Edmonds.
But he does solve problems. He doesn’t know yet what to think about who his fellow tight end teammates will ultimately be but believes they all can play.
Here’s to hoping Williams continues to be a healthy problem solver all year.
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