Maybe the interested in recently-turned free agent Karlos Williams isn’t as great as once thought, going unclaimed through the waivers to hit free agency, with his first piece of business being visiting the New York Jets.
Williams, released by the Buffalo Bills for his inability to maintain a “professional weight” and the four game suspension he has coming at the beginning of the 2016 season. Teams like the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles looked like proper landing spots for the running back, where he could make a serious impact. But for now, the Jets are the only team making noise, although there isn’t an imminent deal.
The Jets might be a little bit of an odd choice, considering they’re not desperate at running back. They signed Matt Forte this offseason, and re-signed Bilal Powell with $6 million in guaranteed money. They do have Khiry Robinson on the roster, recovering from a broken leg, and signed Antone Smith, formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, just last week. But Williams, in terms of talent, might be good enough to be the number 3 running back on this team, if the Jets are convinced his head in the right place, something the Bills didn’t want to risk.
The former Florida State star had 613 yards from scrimmage, scoring 9 touchdowns on only 104 touches, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He doesn’t seem like the safest of players to gamble on, but he’s not going to be costly, and if he puts the suspension behind him and focuses on showing his skills, any team that signs him gets an explosive, productive player out in the backfield.