In the past, the Arizona Cardinals haven’t exactly been stocked with quality depth at the running back position. However, they have finally acquired what appears to be a “real” starter at the position in Rashard Mendenhall, and as a result, they are reportedly talking to teams about dealing backup Ryan Williams.
The Cardinals are shopping RB Ryan Williams ahead of the roster cutdown deadlines.
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 26, 2013
Jason La Canfora (of CBS Sports) is the first to report this news, but it certainly doesn’t come as a surprise that Williams would be on the cutting block based on his short track record in the league. Since being drafted in the 2nd round by Arizona in 2011, Williams has appeared in only 5 of 32 possible games, and in his limited field time, he has been less than spectacular. It is certainly a small sample size, but Williams has just a 2.8 yards per carry average over 58 carries in the league, and it may be an indication of “ordinary” talent that he was unable to win the outright job for the lowly Cardinals last season.
It should be noted that an inclination to deal Williams doesn’t necessarily mean that he will be dealt before the beginning of the season, but as of this moment, he isn’t in line for any significant playing time in Arizona. Many teams could be on the lookout for a low-risk, high-ceiling flier, however, and Williams would qualify as that type of player with his 2nd-round pedigree and impressive college performance.