Ryan Williams | RB | Arizona Cardinals
Posted: 5/2/2013 9:41pm et
Arizona Cardinals rookie RB Stepfan Taylor will compete with holdover Ryan Williams for playing time this year behind RB Rashard Mendenhall. As The Arizona Republic's Kent Somers suggests, Taylor isn't a very fast running back, but he's elusive and durable. Williams has had serious injuries in each of the past two years.
Huddle Up: It was a shoulder injury that cut Williams' season short after 5 games last year, and he finished with 164 yards on 58 carries. Now enter the free-agent Mendenhall and Taylor, a fifth-round pick, and the Cards suddenly have options if Williams can't make it through another campaign.
Posted: 2/22/2013 1:04pm et
Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said the team is expecting big things from RB Ryan Williams. "We watched him against Philadelphia," Keim said, "We watched him against New England, his lateral quickness, his natural run skills, his avoidability is something he brings to the table. Plus he's a three-down back. We're expecting big things out of Ryan moving forward."
Huddle Up: If Williams is able to stay healthy and on the field, he could live up to Arizona's expectations. Of course, the Cardinals need to upgrade their offensive line and address their quarterback issues as well to give Williams a chance, but he certainly seems to be considered Arizona's feature back heading into the 2013 season.
Posted: 2/12/2013 11:08pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee, shoulder) is confident he can make his way back from a second season-ending injury in as many years in the NFL. His rookie season ended when he ruptured his right patella tendon in the preseason, and his second season ended after the fifth game when he suffered a coracoids process fracture to his left shoulder in a game against the St. Louis Rams. He admitted Tuesday, Feb. 12, that he is worried about his spot on the roster. 'Who wouldn't?,' Williams asked.
Huddle Up: Fortune certainly hasn't been with Williams, the former first-round pick, but durability is a big part of a RB's job description. And as a result of his injuries, Williams has been limited to only 164 yards on 58 carries (2.8 average) in 2 seasons and the Cards are no doubt weighing Williams' medical prognosis as you are reading this.
Posted: 1/18/2013 10:41pm et
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is reportedly a big fan of RB Ryan Williams, and he lit up when speaking about the tailback's ability Friday, Jan. 18. Both Arians and Williams are Virginia Tech alumni.
Huddle Up: Sharing an alma mater doesn't hurt; neither does "competing" with Beanie Wells. Look for Williams to sit atop the Arizona depth chart heading into training camp, though the Arizona offensive line needs a serious upgrade before any of their backs warrant serious fantasy attention.
Posted: 10/10/2012 12:26am et
The Arizona Cardinals lost RB Ryan Williams (shoulder) to season-
ending Injured Reserve, and there are rumors flying around about
potential targets either through free agency or trade. One name that
makes sense is New Orleans Saints RB Chris Ivory through trade, or
former Cardinals RB and current free-agent Tim Hightower (Redskins).
However, the latter is unlikely, as he is still not all the way back
from a knee issue.
Huddle Up: Trading for Ivory would make the most sense of the 2 scenarios
detailed above, but both seem to be shots in the dark at this point.
Posted: 10/9/2012 1:42pm et
The Arizona Cardinals placed RB Ryan Williams (shoulder) on the Injured Reserve Tuesday, Oct. 9, and signed free-agent CB Crezdon Butler (Redskins) in a corresponding move.
Huddle Up: Between the knee injury that wiped out his rookie season and now this, Williams' NFL career has consisted of 5 games and 208 total yards from scrimmage. Normally, when a starting back goes down, fantasy GMs are jockeying for waiver position, but the situation in the desert is messy with some sort of combo of LaRod Stephens-Howling, William Powell and Alfonso Smith expected to divvy up the carries. Dip into this pool at your own risk.
Posted: 10/8/2012 3:33pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (shoulder) will miss the rest of the year with a shoulder issue that will require surgery.
Huddle Up: Being a Cardinals ball carrier just seems to be a precursor to injury. Powell and Howlings will be snatched up on waiver wire's this week, but the Cards running game hasn't shown much, regardless of who totes the rock.
Posted: 10/4/2012 11:41pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams left early in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's game because of a left shoulder injury. He did not return.
Huddle Up: Williams was hit hard at the end of a draw play and had to be attended to on the field. The injury capped a disappointing night for Williams, who rushed for only 33 yards on 14 carries and had one catch for 5 yards.
Posted: 10/1/2012 3:56pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB William Powell received more playing time in Week 4 than RB Ryan Williams because the team used the no-huddle offense at times during the game. Powell is a part of the no-huddle package while Williams is not part of the package at this point because of his development.
Huddle Up: No RB for the Cards seems to be a great option at this point, but Powell might be a guy to keep an eye on if Williams gets nicked.
Posted: 9/26/2012 6:39pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) practiced in full
Wednesday, Sept. 26.
Huddle Up: Williams had the look of a RB on the rise this past Sunday after
gaining 95 yards on only 14 touches against Philly -- easily his
best game as a pro. Then came Wednesday's news that backfield mate
Beanie Wells (toe) was placed on temporary IR through Week 11, and
suddenly he's the feature back on a team that prefers to run rather
than pass with a shaky QB situation. It's now up to Williams to see
if he can take this opportunity and run with it.
Posted: 9/10/2012 3:24pm et
Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that RB Ryan Williams got the Week 1 start because of the injury to RB Beanie Wells (hamstring), and no other reason.
Huddle Up: Williams 8 carries for 9 yards and a fumble doesn't exactly scream "RB controversy." But its nice the coach cleared that up for us.
Posted: 9/10/2012 12:03pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams was given the nod to start in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks over RB Beanie Wells. Neither did much of anything, as Williams was stuffed for nine yards on eight carries, and he lost a fumble. Wells had 14 yards on seven runs. WR Andre Roberts actually led the team in rushing yards with his lone end-around carry for 15 yards, and RB LaRod Stephens-Howling scored the only rushing touchdown on a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter.
Huddle Up: Until one of the Arizona running backs suffers another injury--and given their track record, it's a matter of "when" not "if"--there's very little reliable fantasy value here.
Posted: 8/28/2012 11:05am et
Arizona Cardinals RBs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams will each get a chance to play in the preseason finale Thursday, Aug. 30, against the Denver Broncos.
Huddle Up: You'd prefer not to have your starting back seeing work in the final preseason game, but both Wells and Williams have been limited as they come back from their respective knee injuries so they could use a little extra work. A strong showing from either might be enough to tilt the competition for carries in their favor.
Posted: 8/18/2012 11:59am et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) posted 25 yards and a rushing touchdown on five carries in his preseason debut Friday, Aug. 17, against the Oakland Raiders. It was his first game action since rupturing a patellar tendon in his knee last August during the preseason. 'I felt like I was six years old again playing Pop Warner,' Williams said. 'I haven't had this feeling in a long time.'
Huddle Up: Williams is a game-breaking type back and if healthy will be a stiff challenge to Beanie Wells when he returns from his own knee injury next week. As our David Dorey tweeted last night - If Wells-Williams is a 1-2 punch, I bet it ends up with Wells being the "2". This is a battle to watch.
Posted: 8/17/2012 7:17pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) will play in the preseason game Friday, Aug. 17, but is not expected to see much playing time during the game.
Huddle Up: Any action will be the first game action in a year for Williams, a 2011 second-round pick out of Virginia Tech who has been receovering from the ruptured patella tendon in his right knee suffered last August. Williams doesn't have much of an NFL track record, but he does have a lot of fantasy upside as a low-round sleeper pick, especially taking into account the lengthy injury history of starter Beanie Wells.
Posted: 8/16/2012 10:12am et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams is expected to play in the team's preseason game Friday, Aug. 17.
Huddle Up: Williams has been sidelined by a knee injury since last preseason, and the team has been bringing him along cautiously. Once he's back in the mix he'll compete with Beanie Wells for carries and perhaps even the starting gig.
Posted: 8/11/2012 11:50am et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) went through pre-game warmups, but was held out of the team's second preseason game Friday, Aug. 10, against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Huddle Up: Williams is a big risk since he is coming off his knee surgery but as cheaply as he can be acquired in fantasy drafts, he is well worth the speculative pick. Wells has already proven he is not the answer in Arizona and Williams should be able to at least cut into his workload. Keep an eye on this one.
Posted: 8/3/2012 6:54pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) said he will not play in the first preseason game because he does not think the risk is worth it to play in while rehabbing knee. He said there is a chance he plays in the second preseason game.
Huddle Up: Even though Arizona's other top back, Beanie Wells, also is sidelined at the moment, this is the prudent move for both Williams and the Cards here. Starting with Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against the Saints, Arizona has five preseason contests, and there will be plenty of opportunity for Williams to come along at a comfortable and productive pace.
Posted: 8/2/2012 11:33am et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) is expected to be a game-time decision for the first preseason game Sunday, Aug. 5. Williams will tell the team how he feels that day and a decision will be made based on that information.
Huddle Up: And there's your first official GTD of the 2012 season. Williams is working his way back from a patella tendon injury that scuttled his rookie campaign, and with Beanie Wells still nursing an injury of his own this is an opportunity for Williams to lay claim to a chunk of the Cardinals' backfield workload. That said, there are five preseason games for Arizona and no need to rush Williams back into the mix just yet.
Posted: 7/5/2012 6:06pm et
Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (knee) is believed to be on schedule in his rehab and could even be a little ahead of schedule at this point. The team is being cautious with Williams and likely will limit him during training camp. His workload this season will depend on how RB Beanie Wells is playing.
Huddle Up: A lot of people have forgotten about Williams and that's why he drops to the ninth or tenth round. For those who like to gamble with "take a flier" picks we can't think of a better one. It's not like Beanie Wells is a model of health either.