Buffalo Bills 2015 Profiles: Karlos Williams

The Buffalo Bills have plenty of depth at the running back position, meaning that someone like Bryce Brown could be a tough cut for the organization in training camp. Even though the Bills have a crowded backfield behind LeSean McCoy with veterans Anthony Dixon and Fred Jackson also vying for spots, Florida State rookie Karlos Williams was rising up the depth chart before an illness effectively ended his preseason.

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Although the nature of Williams’s issue remains unknown, the Buffalo News’s Tyler Dunne reported that the rookie will be out for “weeks”, so that’s basically the only timeline we have at this point. Bills head coach Rex Ryan, via ESPN NFL Nation’s Mike Rodak, fully expects the 22-year-old to be ready to face the Indianapolis Colts leaky run defense in Week 1 of the regular season.

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His preseason is over, so it’s unclear how many carries he’ll have in the early going once the 13th of September rolls around and real football begins. With Dixon still out with an injury and F-Jax only recently back from his issue, the Bills backfield- they also suffered an injury scare with McCoy earlier in camp- has been badgered by injuries, which bodes well for Williams. Brown is healthy and has been effective in preseason games, as usual, so he could very well displace Dixon.

As for Williams, he’s a lock to make the roster after being a fifth-round pick, especially since he’s always had a “legitimate shot” at winning the No. 2 gig behind Shady. Greg Roman and the Bills are probably going to shove McCoy down defense’s throats as the clear lead back and focal point of the offense, but there could still be opportunities for the No. 2 guy, whether it’s Williams or somebody else.

His upright rushing style, character concerns, and mildly disappointing final college season pushed him into the fifth round, though that wasn’t a bad draft slot considering the depth of running backs in the class. He has the upside to be worth significantly more than that to the Bills, as he showed off his skills with a 4.48 forty at the Combine despite checking in at a massive 6’1″, 230 pounds.

Williams’s first preseason game included 16 touches, but he ran for an inefficient 40 yards on 14 carries, causing some to raise eyebrows at his chances of being the team’s No. 2 back. He impressed the Bills coaching staff before the mysterious illness bounced him out of training camp action, so there’s hope that he can pick up where he left off.

Since Williams is more of a long-term prospect due to his status as a “boom-or-bust” mid-round flier at the running back position, the Buffalo Bills will probably be inclined to play it safe with their rookie when the season begins. Perhaps he can carve a legitimate role for himself as he proves his health (and talent) to the Bills, but he could have his work cut out for him if Brown is still on the roster (there’s always a chance some team ships a late-round pick to the Bills as a result of his strong preseason work).

It’s hard to expect anything out of a raw rookie who is dealing with what seemed to be a scary health situation, but Karlos Williams reportedly showed up well at training camp, which bodes well for his status with the organization down the road. Hopefully he can get involved sooner rather than later, because I’d like to see him in good health. Jackson and Dixon might be better backs this year, but Williams easily brings more natural talent and upside to the table for a team that has dealt with several running back injuries here in August.

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