5 NFL players entering contract year with something to prove
By Lucas Schuh
1. Daryl Williams, Carolina Panthers
In 2017, Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Daryl Williams played his first full season in the NFL and the performance that he put forth was impressive. Williams immediately emerged as one of the premier players at his position in the league, even earning Second-Team All-Pro honors for his work.
After seeing that in his third season in the league, the Panthers seemingly found their next offensive tackle of the future and had to be excited for 2018 and beyond. The fates took a sour turn early on, though.
Unfortunately for both Williams and Carolina, he suffered a knee injury in training camp before the 2018 season, tearing his MCL and dislocating his knee cap. Despite that, Williams still suited up in Week 1 for the Panthers. However, he left that matchup in the fourth quarter after reinjuring the same knee. After that and electing to have surgery, he was done for the rest of the year.
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Williams’ problems don’t stem from skill in the slightest. He has proven that he is one of the most underrated and perhaps best offensive tackles in the NFL when he’s on the field. His issue has simply been staying on the field and maintaining a clean bill of health. However, the Panthers signed him to a one-year deal in the 2019 offseason and now he’ll have a chance to both stay healthy and prove he’s worthy of a long-term deal.