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Newly signed right tackle? Per WP: Mike Williams. (Merged)

skinsfan93

By skinsfan93
in The Stadium

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AdmiralWaugh

AdmiralWaugh

Posted
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and LaCanfora's "source" is........the Skins blog. It was on the Skins blog almost 15 minutes before LaCanfora posted it (according to the times on both items).

http://blog.redskins.com/

BTW - isn't it bigger news that Snyder said the team won't trade next year's #1, which those listening to the broadcast (like ESers) heard an hour ago and posted here while the Post still hasn't figured out how to reconcile that news with their speculation.

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SkinsMaster88

SkinsMaster88

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He was the 4th overall pick back in 2002, so he had talent coming out of college. Looks like mainly injuries derailed his career, and he probably never lived up to the expectations.

The guy's still 29 years old, worth a look. Can't hurt at this point. He has huge size, and if Bugel can coach him up, maybe he can be at least solid depth.

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Dah-Dee

Dah-Dee

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So will this be a sign that OT is not being targeted in round 1 or 3 this weekend?

That's a good question. I would think the answer might yes if it's a younger guy, but no if it's an older guy like Runyan.

Edit: Or, now that I see it's a high-risk draft bust, plan C: "maybe." :doh:

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VetMinimum+Incentives

VetMinimum+Incentives

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Decent move assuming vet minimum plus incentives ;)

Low risk high reward signing. A big long shot to be sure but if he somehow makes it you hit the lottery. What's not to like?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/stories/042309dnspowilliams.3738cd0.html

The answers came a bit muffled over the telephone, punctuated by giant huffs and puffs. That's what you get when you interview a man dreaming of again playing in the NFL as he is lifting weights, preparing to flip a 600-pound tractor tire around a gym.

But Mike Williams, working out in Northern Virginia on Wednesday morning, said it was as good a time as any for him to talk.

"

I know people have questions about me," he volunteered late in the conversation. "I know they are not questions about my talent. They are questions about my heart."

If the name Mike Williams doesn't ring a bell, you probably aren't a fan of the Buffalo Bills or haven't reviewed any of this NFL draft week lists of all-time disappointments. If the name is familiar, you might know him from his playing days at The Colony High School or the University of Texas.

Back in the day, Williams had a stellar all-state football career as a defensive tackle at The Colony and a terrific time taking out would-be tacklers and sackers as an offensive tackle at Texas. At 6-6 and 375 pounds, Mike Williams did not allow a sack in his final two seasons as a Longhorn.

The NFL noticed. So proficient was Mike Williams at obliterating defensive mosquitoes, he was the fourth player selected in the 2002 draft. Only one Dallas area high school player in the 43-year Super Bowl era ever has been selected higher. That was Richardson Pearce's Ray Childress, taken third by the Houston Oilers in 1985.

Selecting Williams was never considered a risk for the Bills, it wasn't a quixotic reach. Most NFL teams had him rated as the top offensive lineman of the draft just as they had the Longhorns' Leonard Davis the previous year.

In addition to extolling Williams' pass and run blocking, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. declared him "nimble" with "enough polish to step in and be an immediate starter and anchor on the Bills' offensive line."

No one begrudged his $10.5 million signing bonus. But Mike Williams' stay in Buffalo lasted only four seasons. Draft-day euphoria and great expectations were followed by Death Valley deep disappointments.

Questions

His second year was marred by an ankle injury that hobbled him for most of the season, forcing him to miss three games. He skipped voluntary mini-camps in 2004 for "personal reasons" and was fined for an unexcused absence in training camp. He started only five of the nine games he played before he was sidelined by a back injury during his final season, losing his job to a converted tight end.

"Bust stops here: Bills cut Williams" was the headline in the Buffalo News a February day in 2006 after he was cut with two years remaining on his contract.

"I don't know if he can be considered the biggest bust in Bills history, but he's close," John Murphy, the Bills radio analyst during Williams' tenure, said the other day over the telephone.

Williams signed to play with the Jacksonville Jaguars but spent the 2006 season on injured reserve with a bad back. The Oakland Raiders showed interest in signing him for 2007 but the back ached too much. He could no longer bend over. There was surgery for a herniated disk. His NFL career appeared over.

Williams retired to Austin and a comfortable and relatively quiet life of the oilfield services business. But he kept thinking about his NFL legacy and that hurt as much as his back pain ever did.

"My philosophy has always been 'you can always do better,' " Williams said. "I guess I could have done better."

No excuses

Williams offered no excuses for his Buffalo years but he did say it wasn't easy playing for three different line coaches in his four seasons as well as two different head coaches. And maybe, he said, thinking he had to carry the hopes and dreams of a franchise on his large but relatively young 22-year-old back had been a bit overwhelming. "But I was a professional and as a professional they expect you to adjust."

After long days and nights of mulling a return, Williams, who turned 29 in January and says he is financially secure, decided he would make an effort. Early this year, he headed first to a training program in North Carolina before moving to suburban Washington. There he and his wife are house guests of former Longhorns teammate, offensive lineman Derrick Dockery, a Garland Lakeview product who plays for the Redskins, and his wife.

At times, Williams, who says he is at his previous playing weight but might still like to shed 20 pounds, and the relatively svelte 6-6, 345-pound Dockery work out together in the gym. But when Dockery heads off to the Redskins training facility, Williams works alone. He says he hasn't missed a day.

His agent will begin making calls to teams after the draft. He hopes to return to Austin and work with the Longhorn coaches in hopes of sharpening his playing techniques. At Texas, he had a reputation for being a leader and the most personable of all the Longhorns. Asked if he might like to re-unite with Davis on the Cowboys offensive line and have the opportunity to play in front of his family who still live in The Colony, he said it wasn't paramount.

All he wants now is a post-draft day chance.

Charley Casserly, a former general manager of the Redskins and Texans and now an analyst for the NFL Network, calls Williams' dream "a long shot" given Williams' layoff and injury history. But, Casserly added, it would only take one team to show interest.

"I have a new love for the game," Williams said, pausing to make sure he would be heard. "I know I have a lot more than people think or what they saw."

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CRobi21

CRobi21

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Hm. Didn't see that when I read it.=

"Also the team will announce that punter Dirk Johnson was released, which we reported last night. Punter Hunter Smith agreed to terms last night, as we repored, and the team will likely announce that over the weekend."

:cool2:

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