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METAIRIE Daniel Jones Jersey , La. (AP) — Saints safety Marcus Williams asserts that he became a better player in the past year, whether his numbers showed it or not.He enters Year 3 aiming to live up to high expectations, which would only help him live down a missed tackle in Minnesota that brought a ruinous end to his rookie season.“I’ve grown a lot,” said Williams, a former Utah standout and 2017 second-round pick (42nd overall) who turns 23 in September.“Every year, (the goal) is just to be better than you were last year. The statistics may not show (it), but you can see it as far as your film breakdown, as far as what you’re doing,” Williams said. “It may not be as much production, but you can see that you’re affecting quarterbacks or you can affect offenses in other ways, just by where you’re standing or what you’re doing on the field.”The Saints drafted Williams because they saw him as a bright and reliable player with an exceptional ability to locate and bring down balls thrown in his coverage area. As a rookie, he intercepted four passes in the regular season. He added another pivotal interception in a divisional round playoff game against the Vikings that helped the Saints claw back from an early double-digit deficit and take a late lead. But in a cruel twist Quincy Williams II Jersey , he also was at the center of a dramatic, 61-yard Vikings touchdown as time expired that stunningly ended the Saints’ season.Williams arrived at 2018 Saints training camp determined not to allow the play known as the “Minneapolis Miracle” to define him. He reported in impeccable shape and was one of the standouts of 11-on-11 drills in practice, intercepting record-setting quarterback Drew Brees several times. But during the regular season, he wasn’t around the ball as often as in his rookie campaign and his production fell.He intercepted two passes and his tackles fell by about 20 percent, but Williams points out that quarterbacks were much more aware of his game in his second season and did not challenge him as often.“I do have good ball instincts,” Williams asserted. “It’s not that I just came in with them. They’re not leaving.”Williams said he has specific goals for this season, but prefers to keep them to himself.“I just write them down, have them in my pocket, have them in my phone, have them on my wall, look at them every single day so they’re engrained in my mind,” Williams said. “That’s just going to help me to continue to be a better player overall.”Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen Ryquell Armstead Jersey , a former college safety himself at Texas A&M, said Williams played well overall and demonstrated an improved understanding of the Saints’ defensive scheme in Year 2. Allen just wasn’t sure if Williams’ instinctive play and natural ability shined through as much as it could have while the young safety was so focused on thinking the game.“We feel great about where he’s at and the key for him now is just go out there and play; Don’t worry about any type of expectations that’s put on you from the outside world,” Allen said. “You see this with everyone. Not every season’s the same. Some years are better than others. It doesn’t mean you’re playing poorly. It’s just sometimes those plays don’t quite come your way.“The biggest thing really for all these guys — and especially the young guys is — look, know what to do within the scheme, but don’t overthink things. Just go out there and play the game, the same game you’ve played your whole entire life,” Allen said. “Use your natural instincts and ability to go make plays. And that’s kind of one of the conversations we’ve had with him — and we’re expecting big things out of him.”That’s what the Saints should get out of Williams if he succeeds in his stated desire to model his approach to playing safety after newly inducted Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Ed Reed.“Seeing how he plays with quarterbacks’ minds, how he goes and gets the ball, how he plays with his instincts — just being able to be a ball hawk like that, that’s what I want to be,” Williams said. “I want to be better than that.” PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP)LeSean McCoy had no doubts he’d be allowed to report for the start of Bills training camp after the running back was accused of bloodying his ex-girlfriend two weeks ago.And McCoy on Thursday also said he’s confident he’ll be playing in Buffalo’s season opener at Baltimore on Sept. 9.”I’m here right now Gardner Minshew II Jersey , so I feel very confident,” McCoy said about an hour before the Bills opened training camp in suburban Rochester.The comments were the first McCoy has made publicly since being accused of playing a role in his ex-girlfriend being injured during a home invasion at a house McCoy owns in the Atlanta suburbs.No charges have been filed.McCoy previously denied any involvement in the home invasion and other allegations posted on social media by a woman who appeared to be a friend of his ex-girlfriend.McCoy on Thursday addressed the allegations just once in answering the first question during a near nine-minute news conference by saying: ”It’s an active investigation and I’ll leave it at that.”He then repeatedly deflected other questions on what happened by saying he’s solely focused on being ready for training camp and the upcoming season.”Right now, my main focus is here on my teammates, my team, trying to build together in camp to reach our goal together, and that’s a championship,” McCoy said.”I don’t want to let things distract me or get in the way of that, because I’d be cheating my teammates,” he said. ”I came here focused for camp and just ready to play, ready to roll.”General manager Brandon Beane said the team has done what he called its due diligence on the allegations and is satisfied by the conversations he’s had with the NFL, which is holding its own investigation.”We feel comfortable that LeSean’s going to be here and ready to roll,” Beane said. ”We don’t see that changing.”Coach Sean McDermott also backed McCoy.”It’s a situation that we take very seriously because of the nature of the situation Christian Wilkins Jersey ,” McDermott said. ”That said, as Brandon mentioned, we’ve done our part, looked into what we need to look into and, as an organization, feel that we can move forward at this point in time.”Court records show McCoy has been attempting to evict his former girlfriend, 34-year-old Delicia Cordon, for the past year. Police records show officers had previously been called to the home twice, but no violence was reported.During the home invasion, a man entered the home around 3 a.m. on July 11, and demanded specific pieces of jewelry McCoy had given to Cordon and that he had asked her to give back many times.Veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander called the allegations a private matter and said McCoy didn’t have to address anything with the team.”He’ll continue to handle that and we’ll uplift him and support him in any way we can,” Alexander said following practice.”Obviously Michael Deiter Jersey , we feel for the victim as well. You never want to see anybody in those situations. So hopefully everything is found out and handled in a well manner,” he added. ”But this won’t be a distraction for anybody in the locker room.”McCoy said the team has been supportive, in noting he had a lengthy conversation with Beane and McDermott upon reporting to camp Wednesday.”They’re backing me 110 percent,” he said. ”We’re moving forward.”McCoy spent much of the past six weeks working out in southern Florida with several NFL players, including Miami Dolphins running back Frank Gore.He said he’s lost about 13 pounds after weighing 225 a few months ago.McCoy is entering his 10th NFL season and fourth with Buffalo since being acquired by the Bills in a trade with Philadelphia.Now 30 years old, McCoy is coming off a season in which he had 1,138 yards rushing, and 1,586 yards from scrimmage (including 448 receiving) for the fifth-best totals of his career.McCoy ranks third among active running backs and 29th overall with 10,092 yards rushing.NOTES: The Bills signed free agent DT John Hughes to a one-year contract. Hughes has six years of NFL experience including spending last season with New Orleans, where he played eight games before sustaining a season-ending injury to his elbow. He spent his first four-plus seasons with Cleveland and has 10 starts in 66 games. … Beane declined to provide a timetable on when WR Zay Jones will be cleared for practice after having knee surgery in May. Jones opened camp on the active/non-football injury list. Beane said the team is being cautious to avoid any setback after the second-year player missed all of the team’s spring practices.—