Cardinals Ryan Williams Hopes To Play Week 3, Aims For Week 1

It has been reported by cbssports.com that Arizona Cardinals running back and 2011 second round pick Ryan Williams is still aiming to be ready for the start of the regular season but admits his current hope is to at least make it back for week 3.

Williams hasn’t made his NFL debut yet after he tore his patella tendon in training camp last year. Until that time there had been much anticipation that he was going to supplant incumbent Beanie Wells from the primary running duties and it was his drafting that led to the Cardinals other promising young back Tim Hightower being traded to the Washington Redskins for defensive end Vonnie Holliday and a sixth round pick.

There were reports a couple of weeks ago that Williams running and cutting well as part of his rehabilitation but he did not participate in team OTAs that began today. However, he made the confident statement that “the healing process is done” and the main concern now was strengthening the quadriceps muscles in the leg. This will still require extensive rehab given the atrophy his leg would have undergone from being immobile as his knee healed. ESPN’s injury expert Stephania Bell mentioned earlier this year the following about Williams’ recovery:

"“He has youth on his side, for sure. What you worry about is, it takes a lot to get any kind of explosiveness or power back. You’re not talking about strength, but quickness. It is reasonable he could be back when the season starts but will he really be back? That is going to remain to be seen and like these guys coming off ACL surgeries, it may take a while to see what his max is that he can return to.”"

So while there is optimism from Williams, Cardinals fans should be cautious in hoping the former Virginia Tech running back will make a significant impact at the beginning of the 2012 season despite the team’s need for production given the continuing injury problems of Beanie Wells.

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