Former Bills running back Karlos Williams surprisingly went unclaimed on waivers after being cut loose over the weekend, but he’s already garnering interest from another AFC East club. Williams met with the Jets today, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 (Twitter link). However, “no deal is imminent” between the two sides, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
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The Jets would seem to be an odd fit for Williams given that they already boast a significant amount of talent in their backfield. New York agreed to a three-year deal with former Bears back Matt Forte over the offseason, and also re-signed Bilal Powell on a three-year pact that contained $6MM in guarantees. In addition to its top two backs, the Jets also have Khiry Robinson on the roster (though he’s admittedly still recovering from a broken leg) along with former Falcons RB Antone Smith, who was just signed last week.
Clearly, there are reasons to be concerned about Williams’ future. He’ll be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he’s struggled with his weight throughout the offseason. At one point, Williams was up 261 pounds, and after losing some of that heft, he’d reportedly begun to balloon once again, leaving the Bills to wonder if he was serious about football.
But Williams also flashed dynamic ability during his rookie season, finishing with 613 yards from scrimmage and nine TDs on just 104 touches while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. The 23-year-old also became one of just two players in NFL history to score a touchdown in each of his first six games in the league. All in all, Williams seemingly defines an old adage: high risk, high reward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seems about right. Jets get rid of knuckle heads the bills sign them. The bills get rid of a knuckle head the jets sign him.