Why the Raiders should look at Karlos Williams
With the season rapidly approach, the Oakland Raiders are always looking for tweaks to the roster to benefit them in the long-term. One low-risk, high-reward move is signing recently released Buffalo Bills RB Karlos Williams. Before anyone loses composure over the mere mentions, let’s examine a few points.
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Cost: Williams will miss the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Therefore, a quarter of his 2016 check vanishes. Second, the suspension drives his price down to near league minimum. What could a one or two year, small dollar amount deal hurt? If Williams fails to perform, cut him at a non-existent cap hit. Conversely, should he prosper, Oakland retains a low-cost, viable back. The Raiders once signed Trent Richardson for a summer.
Potential Production: No one is saying that Williams could supplant Latavius Murray right now. Yet, he does have the requisite skill set to be an above average NFL starter. If you compare the 2015 stats for both, Williams produced with fewer touches
Williams’ 2015 season:
93 carries, 517 yards (5.7 yards per carry), 7 rushing TD
2- 100yd rushing games
11 receptions, 96 yards, (8.7 yards per catch), 2 receiving TD
Basically, one out of every 14 carries, Williams found the end zone.
Murray’s 2015 season:
266 carries, 1066 yards (4.01 yards per carry), 6 rushing TD
2- 100yd rushing games
41 receptions, 232 yards (5.7 yards per catch) 0 receiving TD
Murray has more yards and carries, but fewer total touchdowns.
The knock against Latavius Murray is that he does not finish runs win authority or break many tackles, despite being 6’3” and 230 pounds. Williams is two inches shorter and the exact same weight.
Here’s a clip showing Williams at work.
Competition: Latavius Murray enters 2016 as the unquestioned lead back. Sure, the Raiders drafted DeAndre Washington and have a host of under-the-radar talent, but who will compete with Murray for the starting spot? No one on this roster possesses the power/speed combination that Murray has and the coaches love. Williams could step into camp and eventually unseat Murray. Williams is only 23 and has less than 100 NFL carries on him.
The signing of Williams may inspire Murray to use more physicality in his runs and punish the occasional cornerback on the perimeter. Murray is too naturally gifted to occasionally run like a third-down scat back. Seeing his eventual replace will either embolden Murray or reveal his true role on this team.
As of this writing, there are probably members of Raider Nation opposed to the mere mention of this proposal. They see Williams and think Aldon Smith. To be honest, Smith’s deal is more lucrative and Williams isn’t out until November. In the big picture, this deal could only help Oakland solidify a position of need.
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