The Chicago Bears have agreed to a contract with Roy Williams. The deal was likely influenced by the success Williams had under Mike Martz in Detroit. For one fleeting fall, Williams proved worthy of his draft slot with 82 catches for 1310 yards and 7 TDs. That was 2006. In 2007 Williams struggled with injuries and the arrival of Calvin Johnson. The offense regressed, Martz was fired, and Williams soon found himself traded to the Cowboys where a career renaissance ensued.
Except, of course, it didn’t.
To say Roy E. Williams was not well-liked by the PFF charters would be an understatement. It’s actually impossible to hyperbolize just how bad Williams was in 2008 and 2009. From the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2009, Williams put up 15 games where he earned a -1.0 PFF rating or worse. During that same time period, he managed ZERO games of +1.0 or better.
189 WRs played at least one snap for their teams in 2008. Roy Williams played for two teams and is thus in the rankings twice. He finished 183rd based on his play for the Lions and 185th in his time with the Cowboys. He improved to 175th in 2009.
Fortunately for Williams (and Bears fans), the light seemed to go back on when the Cowboys selected Dez Bryant in last year’s first round. Part of his struggles the previous two seasons were the result of nagging leg injuries, and Williams was finally a little healthier. The travails of those years could be seen in poor route running and myriad drops. In 2009 Williams caught a staggeringly low 46% of his targets and dropped 9 passes in 93 chances. Facing the ugly proposition of his time in the home state limelight coming to an end, he was sharper and more explosive in 2010. He improved his concentration as well, dropping only 4 balls on 59 targets.
Fantasy spin:
Williams enters the season at 29 years old and could have something left in the tank if he’s maintained last year’s fitness level. The Bears should have aimed higher – Mike Sims-Walker would have been more exciting – but his presence might free up a little more space for Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett. Even with all of his faults, Williams still sports a career yards per catch average over 14. Expect 50 catches for 700 yards and 4 TDs. This was definitely a best case scenario for Williams who would have been undraftable in almost any other locale. He’s now worth a late round flier.
If history is any indication, the Bears will run 3-WR sets almost exclusively. As a result, Knox and Bennett should see their roles essentially unchanged by the acquisition. Bennett fits the profile of a possession receiver breakout candidate, and the Williams signing might actually help keep his ADP extremely affordable.
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