This Date In Transactions History: Ricky Williams Retires
On this date in 2004, one of the NFL’s best running backs called it quits at the age of 26. On the heels of a four-game ban for marijuana, Dolphins star Ricky Williams decided that he had enough. 
“I’m finally free,” Williams told the Miami Herald from Hawaii. “I can’t remember ever being this happy.”
Williams’ announcement sent shockwaves through the football world and also became the topic of national conversation for non-sports fans. How could Williams, who was just two years removed from leading the league with 1,853 rushing yards, walk away from millions of dollars and superstar status?
Many believed that Williams was choosing recreational marijuana over his career. However, Williams explained that he was in search of true happiness, fulfillment, and enlightenment.
“Well, why not?,” Williams said when asked about his puzzling decision. “I just don’t want to be in this business anymore. was never strong enough to not play football, but I’m strong enough now. Everyone has thrown every possible scenario at me about why I shouldn’t do this, but they’re in denial. I’m happy with my decision.”
The Dolphins’ offense was largely built around Williams and his mid-summer departure was nothing short of devastating for the club. The Dolphins invested a great deal in No. 34 – they sent four draft picks to the Saints, including two first-round picks – to acquire him in 2002, so they had little in the way of backfield reinforcements.
Later, Williams revealed that there were other factors that went into his decision. After his stellar 2002 campaign, he once again led the league in rushing attempts with 392 on the year. However, without a quality passing game to keep defenses honest, he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. The Dolphins, meanwhile, carried over the same exact quarterback room into 2004. Knowing that Jay Fiedler, Brian Griese, and Sage Rosenfels would produce the same results, Williams elected against taking more punishment.
“I led the NFL in attempts the past two years and they really didn’t go out and get a quarterback to help me, so I knew it’s going to be all on me again,” Williams told Sports Illustrated in 2004. “I could see my mortality as a football player, that I’m not going to be able to do this much longer. It just became obvious to me that playing football for me is not going to be fun, not something I’m going to enjoy and it’s time for me to do something different.”
Williams returned to football in 2005 and managed to average 4.4 yards per tote in a suspension-shortened season. In 2006, the NFL handed Williams a one-year ban for the fourth drug policy violation of his career, prompting him to sign with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
After suffering a pectoral tear in his 2007 return, Williams would not play another full NFL season until 2008. The time spent away from the NFL would have been an insurmountable obstacle for most players, but there was clearly something to Williams’ holistic regimen.
From 2008-2011, Williams’ ages 31-34 seasons, the veteran managed 4.3 yards per carry for the Dolphins and Ravens. Then, after topping 10,000 career rushing yards, Williams decided to retire for good.
Today, Williams is one of several ex-NFL players involved in the formation of the Freedom Football League, which vows to provide players with “permanent and reliable holistic health and wellness support on and off the field” as well as encouragement to address “hot-button” societal issues.
Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android
If you enjoy PFR on your smartphone or tablet then you’ve got to download the free Trade Rumors app!
Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:
- All the articles from Pro Football Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Hoops Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
- Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
- Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
- Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app.
- Customer service! If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
- Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download now!
Amari Cooper To Play Without New Deal?
The Cowboys and Amari Cooper have exchanged figures this offseason, but it doesn’t sound like there will be a new deal in place between now and September. In an appearance on ESPN (video link), Cooper indicated that he is willing to prove his value over the course a full season in Dallas before agreeing to a long-term pact. 
Not now,” Cooper said when asked if he should be the NFL’s highest-paid receiver. “Definitely looking forward to earning that respect and definitely looking forward to coming into this year and just putting up those numbers for my team and really showing what I can do in a full season as a Dallas Cowboy. I know that I have the skillset to be one of the highest-paid receivers. I’m just all about going out there and proving it.”>
Cooper posted two 180-plus-yard games (and a 106-yard playoff showing against the Seahawks), but his two previous seasons with the Raiders were rife with inconsistency. Even after arriving in Dallas, Cooper posted four games of 40 or fewer receiving yards, so it’s no surprise to hear that there’s a gap between the two sides in negotiations.
Cooper is attached to a $13.9MM fifth-year option price in 2019. Entering his age-25 season, the former top-five pick is in line for a big contract — one that did not look certain when he was struggling with the Raiders for a second straight season. With seven receivers earning at least $16MM per year, including Sammy Watkins (one 1,000-yard season compared to Cooper’s three), it seems likely the Cowboys will end up going north of that threshold.
PFR’s NFL Glossary: Waivers
Here at Pro Football Rumors, you’ll see a number of stories posted on players being cut, waived, or released by their NFL teams. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not quite synonymous. A player who is “cut” has been removed from his team’s roster, but whether he is “waived” or “released” generally depends on his NFL experience.
Between the day after the Super Bowl and the following season’s trade deadline, players with less than four years of service time – or “accrued seasons” – have to pass through waivers after they’re cut by an NFL team. The other 31 clubs around the league have a day to place a waiver claim on that player, adding him to their roster and taking on his contract. That’s why we refer to these players as having been waived, rather than released.
If a player with more than four years of service time is cut between the Super Bowl and the trade deadline, he is not subjected to the waiver process, meaning he becomes a free agent immediately, able to sign with a new team right away if he so chooses.
This isn’t the case all year round, however. Once the trade deadline passes, any player who is cut by his team must pass through waivers, regardless of how many accrued seasons are on his résumé. So if a team cuts loose a 12-year veteran in Week 10 of the season, that player must pass through waivers unclaimed before he’d be free to sign with a team of his choice.
Here are a few more details on the waiver process:
- If two teams place a waiver claim on the same player, he is awarded to the team with the higher priority. Waiver priority is determined by the previous season’s standings — this year, for example, the Cardinals have first dibs, while the Super Bowl champion Patriots have 32nd priority.
- However, the waiver priority order will change starting in Week 4. At that point, waiver priority is determined by records of the current season.
- The window to claim a player closes at the end of the NFL’s business day, which is at 3:00pm central. So if a player is waived by one team on Monday, the other 31 clubs have until Tuesday afternoon to submit a claim. Players cut on Friday clear waivers (or are awarded to a new team) on the following Monday.
- Prior to the first cutdown date in training camp, injured players with fewer than four years of service time cannot be placed on injured reserve until they pass through waivers. Teams will cut this sort of player with a waived-injured designation, allowing other teams to place a claim if they so choose. If the player goes unclaimed, his team can place him on IR or agree to an injury settlement, then fully release him from the roster.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry, modified from a previous post by Luke Adams. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
This Date In Transactions History: Steelers’ Shaun Suisham Retires
Three years ago today, Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham was forced to hang ’em up. Once one of the league’s most accurate kickers, Suisham suffered a setback in his recovery from an ACL tear and did not feel that he could return to his previous form. 
From 2012-2014, Suisham sank 91.6% of his field goal tries. But, in the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Suisham went down with a serious knee injury, costing him the entire season.
“My journey in the NFL has come to a crossroads,” Suisham said in a statement. “I was raised in Wallaceburg, Ontario, as a hockey player and have been on an improbable 16-year journey as a kicker, competing at the highest level. The absolute nature of my position has given me the opportunity to test my resolve, and I have grown both professionally and as a man. Undoubtedly, I will miss the challenge of game day and the preparation that is required. Change is hard, but I’m comfortable with where I am in life as a husband and father.”
While Suisham was out, a young kicker by the name of Chris Boswell stepped up and proved to be just as precise. In his first NFL season, Boswell made 90.6% of his field goals, including both of his attempts from 50+ yards out. The Steelers were hoping to give Suisham the opportunity to regain his job, but the battle was over before it could really heat up.
This offseason, the Steelers could be on the verge of another kicking change. Despite a strong rookie season and a stellar 2017 that resulted in his first ever Pro Bowl nod, Boswell is on the bubble after posting a dismal 65% field goal percentage in 2018.
Fred Davis Attempting NFL Comeback
Former Redskins tight end Fred Davis hasn’t played in the NFL in years, but that’s not stopping him from chasing his goal of a return to professional football. Late last week, Davis participated in the XFL’s summer showcase with an eye on joining the upstart league and, ultimately, getting back on the NFL radar. 
“For me, that’s what it’s really about — having the chance to still be able to play the game you love to play, that you’ve played for a long time,” Davis said. “Even though you take a break off, it doesn’t mean you can’t play it now.”
Davis, the Redskins’ offensive player of the year in 2011, hasn’t played in a game since he violated the NFL’s substance-abuse policy in 2014. The former second-round draft pick says that he has stuck to a training regimen since being pushed out of football and is hopeful that he’ll get an opportunity to prove himself once more.
Prior to 2014, Davis spent six seasons in Washington and caught 162 passes and 13 touchdowns. His best year came in 2011, when he amassed 59 receptions and 796 yards. Davis was reinstated in time for the 2015 season and hooked on with the Patriots, but he was released by New England in June.
Now 33, Davis has a short window to stage his comeback.
Buccaneers Waive Shaun Wilson
The Buccaneers cut running back Shaun Wilson, according to a team announcement. The second-year pro will go on waivers, giving the league’s other 31 teams an opportunity to claim him.
Wilson started the 2018 season as the Bucs’ main kickoff returner and appeared in five games. In that span, he ran for 29 yards off of six carries, caught three passes for five yards, and returned seven kickoffs for 122 yards.
The former UDFA out of Duke had his season shortened by shoulder surgery but is presumably healthy now. He’ll look for a new gig while the Bucs will move forward with running backs Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones, Andre Ellington, Dare Ogunbowale, and Bruce Anderson.
PFR Commenting Policy
Comments of this nature are not allowed at Pro Football Rumors:
- Attacks or insults towards other commenters, the post author, journalists, teams, players, or agents.
- Inappropriate language, including swearing and related censor bypass attempts, lewdness, insults, and crude terms for body parts, bodily functions, and physical acts. Overall, we don’t want any language that a parent would not want their kid to see.
- Juvenile comments or extensive use of text message-type spelling.
- Writing comments in all or mostly caps.
- Spam-type links or self-promotion.
- Comments about how you’re sick of this topic or it’s not newsworthy.
- No inappropriate avatars or images are allowed.
- Anything else we deem bad for business.
If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult though, and most commenters have no problems doing so, as well as helping rein each other in. We are grateful for all of our longtime commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure. This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.
PFR’s NFL Glossary: The Fifth-Year Option
This summer, we’ve seen a handful of notable players from the 2015 NFL Draft receive, or push for, brand new deals. The standard rookie deal runs for four years, but first-round picks such as Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, Redskins guard Brandon Scherff, and Falcons edge rusher Vic Beasley are under contract through the 2019 season thanks to the fifth-year option. 
So what exactly is the fifth-year option in the NFL? Essentially, it’s a way to extend a player’s rookie contract by an extra year, at the club’s discretion. Players don’t have any say in whether or not these options are picked up, though players and teams are still free to negotiate longer-term contracts that would render the fifth-year option unnecessary. Otherwise though, the decision is in the hands of the team, and must be made by May 3 in the player’s fourth season.
Last year, 20 players (out of a possible 32) had their fifth-year options picked up for the 2019 season. As a top-10 pick, Beasley’s fifth-year salary was equivalent to the transition tender at his position during his fourth season, which came out to $14.2MM.
For first-rounders picked outside the top 10, like Chargers running back Melvin Gordon and 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead, the calculation was a bit more complicated. Their fifth-year option was determined by the average of the third through 25th top salaries at that position. That’s why Gordon is in line for just $5.605MM this season and Armstead is slated to earn just $9.046MM.
Fifth-year options are guaranteed for injury only between May 3 and the start of the following league year. As such, they’re not entirely risk-free, but as long as the player remains healthy, a team could exercise his fifth-year option, then cut him before his option year gets underway without being on the hook for his salary. When the league year begins, the player’s fifth-year salary becomes guaranteed for skill and cap purposes, as well as injury.
With a new CBA on the horizon, it’s conceivable that the fifth-year option will be amended to allow first-round picks to test free agency sooner. Then again, the NFLPA might not want to make the concessions needed in order to do away with the fifth-year option, even though it would help to accelerate the market at every position.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. This post was modified from an early entry by editor emeritus Luke Adams.
Saints’ Michael Thomas Reduces Asking Price
The Saints and Michael Thomas seem to be making some progress on contract talks, as Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune tweets. Thomas’ camp has lowered its asking price to $22MM/year, though they remain about $4MM apart in terms of average annual value. Nothing is imminent, as Thomas is currently on vacation in Europe. 
Already, the Saints are willing to go to $18MM/year, which would match Odell Beckham Jr.’s average annual value. If the two sides meet in the middle and split the difference, Thomas will be the league’s highest-paid wide receiver in terms of new money AAV, though a forthcoming extension for Julio Jones could knock him down a notch.
Thomas, who leads the league in receptions (321) over the past three seasons and ranks fifth in yards (3,787) since the start of the 2016 season, is likely looking to be the NFL’s highest-paid receiver in every major contract category, which would include AAV, total value, total guarantees, and full guarantees. It’s a safe bet that he’ll check most of those boxes after notching a league-leading 125 catches, a career-high 1,405 yards, and a career-high matching nine touchdowns.
Thomas’ effort landed him a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2018 and at the age of 26, he’s just getting warmed up.