Should the Jets sign Karlos Williams?

The former Bills RB looks to get his career on track by staying in New York.

It hasn’t really been a great off-season for Karlos Williams. Cut after showing up to camp overweight and suspended by the league for violating the NFL substance abuse policy, not many teams have seemed interested in the 23-year old. Despite a rookie season that saw him average over 5.5 yards per carry when on the field (across only 93 carrries), his cellphone hasn’t been ringing wildly since he was cut loose.

Until now!

There are certainly no guarantees of any kind here. Teams bring in plenty of players for workouts all the time, and often nothing comes of it. However, there are a few reasons that the Jets should definitely consider signing Williams:

1. RB depth: With the departure of Chris Ivory, the Jets do not have a reliable 3rd RB. Despite his conditioning and substance abuse issues, Williams is still only 23 and has a boatload of talent. Trusting him to provide an occasional boost as a 3rd RB is not asking much, an definitely within his talent level.
2. Spy on the Bills: Sure, Rex Ryan is the former Jets coach. But that doesn’t mean they know everything that’s going on in Buffalo. Any time you can bring in a player who had a recent copy of a rival team’s playbook, you have a shot at gaining an edge. It’s certainly worth a training camp deal to see if Williams has any knowledge that might be helpful to the Jets. Bill Belichick has employed this strategy repeatedly over the years, and the Patriots have done okay.
3. He’s cheap: Is there any player cheaper in the NFL than a running back who is out of shape and suspended? Talk about “veteran’s minimum.” For the cost of a punter, you can have an extremely talented player who simply needs someone to help get his head on straight. It’s a good play.

Of course, there are downsides to it. We all know how much Rex Ryan loves to bring in a troubled but talented player and turn him around; if he felt like he couldn’t get anywhere with someone as talented as Karlos Williams, that is saying a lot. But when a kid is 23 years old, it doesn’t matter why you cut him — someone else is going to give him a chance.

The Jets should. They’ve been coming up short of the playoffs for years, and any extra piece that might give them a little boost to put them over the top should be considered. If Williams regained any of his form from last year, the Jets would have one of the deepest RB rotations in the league, which could take a ton of pressure off Ryan Fitzpatrick, who missed a chunk of off-season work. It’s the right move, and for a Jets front office that has been improving greatly these last couple season, it’s a move they will most likely end up making.