TUESDAY, 9:56pm: Williams has cleared waivers and reverted to the Bills’ injured reserve list, writes Rodak, who estimates that the club reach a settlement with the receiver.
MONDAY, 3:17pm: Williams wants to play now and is hoping to catch on with a contender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Wawrow’s previously-linked report indicates that the Bills reached a settlement with Williams, so it sounds as if he’ll hit the open market rather than landing on the team’s injured reserve list.
3:04pm: A little more than eight months after they acquired him from the Buccaneers in exchange for a sixth-round pick, the Bills are parting ways with veteran wideout Mike Williams, according to reports from John Wawrow of The Associated Press and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Williams, 27, was expected to contribute this season to a revamped Bills receiving corps that lost Steve Johnson, but added No. 4 overall pick Sammy Watkins. However, Williams didn’t see much action during his stint in Buffalo, partly due to injuries, and compiled just 142 yards and one touchdowns on eight receptions in 2014. There were reports earlier in the season that Williams – or his agent – had requested a trade, but the former Buccaneer denied asking to be moved.
As Rodak indicates, Buffalo is waiving Williams with the injured designation, which means he should revert to the injured reserve list, assuming he goes unclaimed tomorrow on waivers. The team’s official press release on the move confirms as much, noting that Williams has been put on the waived/injured list.
To replace Williams on the roster, the Bills have signed wide receiver Deonte Thompson from off the Ravens’ practice squad, as first reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.