HEADLINES

Jonathan Williams

Saints Sign RB Jonathan Williams

November 14th, 2017 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are signing running back Jonathan Williams to a two-year deal off the Broncos’ practice squad, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Williams will take the place of Daniel Lasco, who has been ruled out for the year with a bulging disc.Jonathan Williams (vertical)

[RELATED: Saints RB Daniel Lasco Done For Year]

Williams was expected to serve as LeSean McCoy‘s top backup in Buffalo this year. Instead, the Bills made him a surprise cut in early September. He had a fair amount of buzz coming out of Arkansas in 2016, but the new regime in Buffalo might have been upset about some of his off-the-field behavior.

Soon after he was cut, the Broncos made Williams an abnormally high offer to join the practice squad, allowing them to beat out at least three other teams for his services. Williams did not get called up to the Broncos’ varsity team this year, but he may get his chance to see the field with New Orleans.

Williams will likely slot in as the Saints’ No. 4 running back behind Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara, and Trey Edmunds.

Broncos Outbid Three Teams To Sign Jonathan Williams

September 7th, 2017 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos will pay Jonathan Williams a massive practice squad salary, but they had to outbid at least three teams for the right to add the running back to that unit.

Williams joined the Broncos on a $510K salary — $30K weekly, well north of the practice squad minimum — but Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter) the Chiefs, Jets and Vikings also pursued Williams for their respective practice squads.

The Bills cut Williams after the preseason and will supplement LeSean McCoy with a new cadre of backs after also allowing Mike Gillislee to depart as an RFA. No team claimed Williams, a 2016 fifth-round pick, on waivers.

The Chiefs made for an understandable fit after the loss of Spencer Ware, an event that caused the team to explore trades, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Instead Kansas City entered its season opener with just two running backs — Kareem Hunt and Charcandrick West — after cutting C.J. Spiller. Kansas City added rookie back Devine Redding to its taxi squad.

Minnesota employs Jerick McKinnon as its third-stringer and re-signed Bronson Hill to its practice squad. Behind Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, the Jets have sixth-round rookie Elijah McGuire. Running back/return man Marcus Murphy now resides on Gang Green’s practice squad.

Williams will sit as the Broncos’ fifth running back — behind C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles, Devontae Booker and rookie De’Angelo Henderson — but do so on a team that’s seen each of its top three backs suffer major injuries within the past year. Booker is currently recovering from a wrist injury.

Broncos Add Jonathan Williams To P-Squad

September 5th, 2017 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have signed running back Jonathan Williams to the practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s receiving a sizable salary that equals out to $510K over the course of the season, which indicates that there was a healthy market for him after the Bills cut him loose. The minimum practice squad salary is just over $7K per week. Jonathan Williams (vertical)

Early on this offseason, Williams seemed poised to step into Mike Gillislee‘s role as LeSean McCoy‘s top backup. He lost ground in that competition, however, and the Bills decided to cut him loose rather than pay out the full value of his contract. The Broncos and 30 other teams declined to pick him up off of waivers, thereby picking up his deal and giving him a roster spot, but multiple teams wanted him on the taxi squad. The Broncos won out over the competition.

The Broncos will roll into the season with C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Jamaal Charles, and De’Angelo Henderson at running back. Booker’s status is up in the air to start the season, so there’s already a potential roster opening for Williams if that injury lingers.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 3rd, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Bills Cut RB Jonathan Williams

September 3rd, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have released running back Jonathan Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The move was unexpected, particularly since Williams was in line to be LeSean McCoy‘s primary backup.

Jonathan Williams (vertical)

Last year, Mike Gillislee thrived as McCoy’s top understudy. Williams could have been poised for a similar leap this year, but the team apparently feels comfortable moving forward with free agent additions Mike Tolbert, Joe Banyard, and Taiwan Jones.

In 2016, his rookie campaign, Williams had only 27 carries in eleven games, but the former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas appeared to have a fair amount of promise. Of course, Williams was selected by the prior regime in Buffalo, so it could be that Brandon Beane and company simply were not as high on the ex-Razorback as their predecessors.

Nonetheless, it is a curious move, as Tolbert, Banyard, and Jones are veterans with limited upside, and Williams’ youth would have seemed attractive to a Bills team that is clearly in some form of rebuilding/retooling mode. It makes one wonder whether there were additional factors in Buffalo’s decision. Last summer, Williams was accused of driving while intoxicated, but he was found not guilty of that charge and he was not suspended by the league.

Bills’ Jonathan Williams Avoids Suspension

June 29th, 2017 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

Good news for the Bills and Jonathan Williams. The running back will not be disciplined under the league’s substance abuse policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jonathan Williams (vertical)

Williams was accused of driving while intoxicated last summer in Arkansas, just months after the Bills selected him in the fifth round. He was found not guilty of the charge earlier this month, but the NFL has been known to suspend players even in situations where they are acquitted by a court. The Bills were bracing for the possibility of not having Williams at the start of the season, but they now know that they will have him on the roster for Week 1 as LeSean McCoy‘s backup.

Last year, Mike Gillislee made a name for himself as McCoy’s primary understudy and Williams could make a similar leap this year. In 2016, Williams had only 27 carries in eleven games, but he should be used a lot more this year. Free agents Mike Tolbert and Joe Banyard are also in the fold in Buffalo, along with fullback Patrick DiMarco.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Fins, Ravens, Bills

June 8th, 2017 at 6:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Steelers would like to sign contract-year defensive end Stephon Tuitt to an extension before the start of the regular season, reports Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 24-year-old is clearly open to a new deal with the Steelers, telling Fittipaldo: “I would love it here. It’s a blessing if they see me being here for the long term. I love the organization.” Locking up Tuitt could cost the Steelers $8MM to $9MM per year, and it probably won’t become a priority until later in the summer, writes Fittipaldo. Tuitt, a second-round pick in 2014, started 14 games in each of the past two seasons and combined for 10.5 sacks in those 28 contests. He also impressed Pro Football Focus last season, receiving its 19th-best grade among 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

More from the AFC:

  • With the Dolphins having exercised his fifth-year option for 2018, right tackle Ja’Wuan James said Wednesday that “it’s good to know that I’m secure in the aspect of being here.” However, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald points out, the $9.431MM option is only guaranteed for injury, meaning James isn’t a lock to be on the team in 2018. James is actually at risk of ending up on the chopping block next offseason if he doesn’t rebound from what the team believes was a “frustratingly unspectacular” 2016, according to Salguero. James has started all 39 of his appearances since going 19th overall in 2014, and is coming off a 16-game season in which he graded as PFF‘s 32nd-best bookend. But the Dolphins are going to want more out of him if he’s going to stick around in 2018 at a high cost, per Salguero.
  • The Ravens will have to revise wide receiver Eric Decker‘s contract if their trade talks with the Jets lead to a deal, notes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Decker has two years and nearly $15MM left on his contract, including an $8.75MM cap hit for 2017. The Ravens only have $5MM-plus in spending room at the moment.
  • Thanks to the injury waiver he previously signed, tight end Dennis Pitta will receive no additional compensation following his release from the Ravens, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Typically, when a player gets injured during offseason practices, he gets paid until healthy or receives his entire salary if he’s out for the year. However, Pitta’s waiver cleared the Ravens of financial responsibility in the event of another hip injury. The tight end has dislocated his hip multiple times in recent years.
  • Bills running back Jonathan Williams was arrested in Arkansas last July on a DUI charge, but the 23-year-old was found not guilty on Thursday, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Assuming Williams dodges a suspension from the league, he’ll be in line to open the season as the Bills’ backup to LeSean McCoy. Mike Gillislee thrived in that role last season, but Buffalo lost him to the AFC East rival Patriots as a restricted free agent.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Pats, Brady, Jets, Fins

July 14th, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills rookie running back Jonathan Williams was arrested in Arkansas on Thursday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated, ArkansasMatters.com reported today. Williams, selected in the fifth round of the draft earlier this year, will almost certainly face a league-imposed suspension, which is not exactly the best way to begin one’s NFL career. It hasn’t been a banner offseason for Buffalo’s running back corps as a whole, as starter LeSean McCoy was involved in an altercation in February, while Karlos Williams showed up to camp overweight last month.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

  • Although he likely wouldn’t say it publicly, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might privately want Tom Brady to accept his four-game suspension and move on, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Brady simply missed the first four games of the season, New England would have the entire summer to prepare the club for backup Jimmy Garoppolo to take over. But if Brady is granted a stay and is then re-suspended in the middle of the year, the Pats could be thrown into a frenzy as their quarterback sits on the bench for the next quarter-season. Nevertheless, Brady is expected to take his case to the Supreme Court.
  • General manager Mike Maccagnan and the Jets were “shocked” when defensive lineman Leonard Williams fell to them at the sixth overall selection in last year’s draft, and the former USC pass rusher has proven critical to the club’s future, as Brian Costello of the New York Post details. Not only did Williams post a solid rookie season in 2015, but he gives New York more leverage as they continue to negotiate with franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson. With Williams and Sheldon Richardson in tow, Gang Green can’t be backed into a corner by Wilkerson and his camp.
  • Given that he was chosen in the sixth round, wide receiver Jakeem Grant doesn’t have a Dolphins roster spot locked down, but his easiest path to making the final 53 is likely via special teams duty, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. Grant returned four kickoffs for scores while at Texas Tech, and according to Walker, he’s the favorite to take over that role for Miami. He’ll need to carve out a space somewhere, because Grant is unlikely to earn playing time behind pass-catching options that include Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, and Leonte Carroo.

Draft Pick Signings: Jags, Texans, Jets, Bills

May 13th, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2016 NFL draft wrapped up less than two weeks ago, and already nearly 70% of the players selected in the draft have signed their rookie contracts. We have a few more draftees to add to that list, so let’s dive in and round up the latest updates on draft pick signings…

  • No. 36 overall pick Myles Jack has formally signed his rookie contract with the Jaguars, the team announced today. Jack, who was initially viewed as a potential top-10 pick, will be in line for a rookie deal worth $6.334MM, with a $2.807MM signing bonus, according to Over the Cap.
  • The Texans have wrapped up their deal with second-round center Nick Martin, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Martin figures to step in for former center Ben Jones, who departed Houston for the division-rival Titans in free agency.
  • The Jets announced today that they’ve officially signed third-round outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com details. That leaves first-round linebacker Darron Lee as the only Gang Green draft pick who remains unsigned.
  • The Bills continue to work backwards through their draftees — after signing their two sixth-round picks, the Bills have now locked up fifth-round running back Jonathan Williams, according to the team’s website.
  • The Broncos now have two more draft picks under contract, signing third-round safety Justin Simmons and fourth-round running back Devontae Booker to their four-year rookie deals, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Texans

April 19th, 2016 at 8:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contract talks between the Broncos and franchise-tagged pass rusher Von Miller are going so poorly that the Super Bowl 50 MVP could consider holding out until November both this year and, if needed, in 2017, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole says that the Broncos’ current offer to Miller is worth only a little more per year than what the Giants gave the far less accomplished Olivier Vernon ($17MM) in free agency and doesn’t contain nearly enough guaranteed money for Miller’s liking.

Here’s more on Denver and a couple other AFC clubs:

  • Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez is working hard to take the reins in Denver, showing leadership, and impressing his teammates in the process, reports Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today (video link). “I can tell he wants to be a leader on this team. He wants to be our quarterback. He wants to be The Guy. And that’s the type of guy we need,” receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. Of course, early reviews aside, Sanchez is a long shot to win the Broncos’ starting job. The team could foil his plans to start by trading for the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick, adding a high-round draft pick, or signing free agents like Brian Hoyer or Ryan Fitzpatrick.
  • After the Browns released veteran defenders Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner earlier this offseason, linebacker Paul Kruger worried about his own status with the team, he told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “Yeah I was definitely anticipating something,” the 30-year-old said. “Made me a little nervous, I’m not going to lie.” The Browns could still part with Kruger and save $5.3MM before June 1 or $6.5MM if he’s a post-June 1 cut, but they already have the third-most cap space in the league. Kruger, for his part, now expects to remain in the fold. “Those are discussions that I let my agent and those people take care of but hey, I’m here right now and this is where I’m planning on being come August,” he said. Kruger’s sack total plummeted from 11 in 2014 to 2.5 last season, though he still menaced opposing quarterbacks, finishing with the league’s fourth-most hurries (33).
  • The Texans will bring in Wisconsin fullback Derek Watt and Arkansas running back Jonathan Williams for Wednesday visits, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN (Twitter links). Derek Watt is the brother of superstar Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt.
  • Wide receivers Cam Worthy and Saalim Hakim, offensive lineman James Brewer and defensive back Dax Swanson will partake in Browns minicamp this week as tryout players, tweets the team’s communications manager, Dan Murphy.
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