Posts tagged TroyWilliamson at FanHouse

Maybe Matt Jones should get arrested for cocaine possession more often. After cops found him in the back of a truck with the yeyo this summer, the Jaguars former first-round pick has suddenly become something more than an overrated wideout on a team once full of them.

In fact, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter seems legitimately jazzed about having Jones on the roster:

"Matt has a much greater sense of urgency; much greater attention to detail in the classroom. Matt is acting like he cares and he's applying himself. ... We have to continue to find better ways to use Matt," Koetter said.

Jones leads the Jaguars with 16 receptions for 173 yards. He also leads the Jaguars in the big-play reception category with a 33-yarder, one of only two receptions by a Jaguars wide receiver that has gone for 20 or more yards. Jones also has the other one.

Wow. This spring Pro Football Weekly assured us that Jones "can all but kiss Jacksonville goodbye." Now, with Jerry Porter reviving the "huge upside, no production" empty promises he made famous in Oakland, and Troy Williamson battling injuries, Jones is the guy in Jacksonville.

It's an old story by now: two years ago, then-Florida wide receiver Chad Jackson had a jaw-dropping NFL combine. He busted out a 4.3-something 40, smoothly ran routes and snagged passes, and he subsequently saw his stock go through the roof.

In the days and weeks leading up to the draft, he, along with Santonio Holmes, were the two highest-rated wideouts and thought to be first-round picks. As it turned out, only Holmes went in Round 1, but the Patriots traded up in the second round to grab Jackson, who was supposed to replace Deion Branch.

Didn't come close to working out that way; he caught just 13 passes for 152 yards his rookie season, and played in just two games last season without registering a reception. There was speculation that this could be Jackson's make-or-break year, and according to the Boston Globe's Mike Reiss, the verdict's in: break.

Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.

Meet The ...
Nic Cage of the NFL. I don't know if it was his awful attempt at an accent in Con Air or what, but Cage just seems like a bad actor. Yet there he is bringing in all kinds of money with the National Treasure franchise, and he's even won an Oscar. You looked at the 2007 Jags and saw a diminutive running back flanked by a walking injury behind an inexperienced QB who had to throw to an awful receiving corps. Much like Cage, they got it done ... so why would 2008 be any different?

The Breakout
It looks like the Jags decided that David Garrard needed some receiving help, so they got him some in the off-season in the form of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson. Both had fallen out of favor in their previous situations, yet sport undeniable talent. I'm going with Williamson here. He's still a young speedster, and has been heaped with praise early on in camp by Garrard. You should be able to get him close to the end of your draft.

I think it says a lot when a first-round draft pick is in danger of getting cut because the team that drafted him added future Hall of Famers Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson to the roster. But that's exactly the fate that could befall Matt Jones, the Jaguars' 2005 first-rounder.

Assuming it happens, then what? Is there a market for a 6-6, 230-pound dude who runs a 4.37 but isn't particularly adept at getting open or catching passes? Well, of course there is. Because, you see, Jones attended University of Arkansas, and every NFL fan knows that whenever an Arkansas alum is released, the Cowboys are obligated to offer them a tryout. You know, because Jerry Jones is a Razorback.

Actually, that couldn't be further from the truth; Dallas' 2008 first-round pick, Felix Jones, is the first Arkansas player drafted during the Jones regime. But Matt Jones is still an attractive option because of his physical attributes and, more importantly, he'd come on the cheap.

From what I've read, former Vikings first-round pick (and the guy supposed to make fans forget about Randy Moss -- mission accomplished!) Troy Williamson is a swell guy. Despite his well-documented struggles in three tumultuous seasons, he never had a bad word to say about the organization, and took responsibility for his inconsistent performances.

Still, it should be hardly surprising that he was happy as hell to get traded this offseason:

"I'd say it was very important [to leave the Vikings] because it was getting very intense up there as far as me and the head coach and some of the other coaches," said Williamson, who was plagued by dropped passes in his time with the Vikings. "I feel like I just need to play football, be me and be comfortable in the situation.

As the Star-Tribune's Judd Zulgad points out, it's sorta funny that the AP story talks about how Williams is working overtime to improve as a pass catcher, something he also tried in Minnesota. Who knows if the outcome will be different in Jacksonville, but I applaud him for not giving up.

And while the Vikings didn't exactly have an all-star cast of wideouts on the roster, it's hard to look bad playing next to Reggie Williams and Matt Jones. So if nothing else, Williamson has that going for him.

The Minnesota Vikings finally waived Erasmus James after he couldn't pass a physical.

James, who is recovering from three operations on his left knee in a 13-month period, did very limited work during the Vikings' opening four days (Monday-Thursday) of organized team activities this week. "We decided today to waive Erasmus and we wish the best for him in the future," Vikings coach Brad Childress said in a statement on the team's website.

James blew out his knee in Week 2 of the 2006 season. He spent most of last year battling injuries before re-injuring the knee late last season.

And so it goes with the Vikings 2005 draft, which may go down as one of the worst/hardluck in franchise history. James was the #17 overall pick in that draft -- one that sees just OL Marcus Johnson remaining from that class.

Remember that Minnesota traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders for the #7 pick in the draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris. Harris played two years in Minnesota before moving on to Kansas City. That #7 pick turned into WR Troy Williamson, who sucked was less than stellar. Williamson was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars before last month's draft.

Third round pick Dustin Fox never played a down for the Vikings. Fourth round pick Ciatrick Fason became a goal line back before being release prior to last season. Sixth round pick DT C.J. Mosley played decent in his rookie season ... and was sent to the Jets for QB Brooks Bollinger. Seventh round pick Adrian Ward didn't make the roster.

The start of free agency is kinda like drunken sailors on shore leave; money and bad decisions are pervasive, and inevitably, plenty of people will regret the choices they made when they look back on this weekend. All that differentiates the two are the dearth of strippers during free agency, although Pacman Jones is working on changing that (hey, he's got the time).

Anyway, everybody got paid today except, maybe, the best player available. Randy Moss, recently of the Patriots, wasn't franchised last week, which was surprising since he was coming off his best season in the NFL and New England was a completely different offense with him on the field. (Wes Welker had a lot to do with that too; the point, though, is that things are very different when Tom Brady isn't forced to call Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney and Troy Brown his primary receivers.)

So Day 1 of free agency is coming to a close and Moss, who many suspected might already have a deal in place with the Pats, is still unemployed. And now, according to NFL Network's Adam Schefter, he's free to visit with other teams.

There has been much speculation about the future of receiver Troy Williamson in Minnesota. It seems as if there will be none, as it is expected that he will be dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars:

The Vikings have agreed in principle on a deal that would send receiver Troy Williamson to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a second-day pick, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The trade cannot become official, however, until the start of the league year Thursday at 11 p.m. CST.

The Vikings gave Williamson's agent permission to seek out a trade during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this past weekend and, apparently, he found something he liked in Jacksonville.

For Minnesota, it ends a rather disappointing era where there were hopes that Williamson would replace Randy Moss. That certainly didn't happen (he had just 18 catches this season; Moss had five more TD receptions than that). For Jacksonville, they can try to rebuild a once promising career and make him into the deep threat they really need.

With a team chocked full of needs, it probably doesn't hurt to inquire about two former first-round picks who are unhappy in their current situations. The Dolphins have been in talks with Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Vikings receiver Troy Williamson.

The Miami Herald's David Neal writes that "although Hall is held in much higher esteem as a player and Atlanta has the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, it's Williamson who is more likely to wind up with the Dolphins."

David Canter, Williamson's agent, said Friday night that he had spoken with the Dolphins earlier in the day, but they hadn't talked about a trade or terms. Canter also said the Dolphins were one of the teams for which Williamson, who has a home in Miramar, would like to play.

A fleet wide receiver taken seventh overall in 2005, Williamson never became the deep threat in the NFL that he had been in college.

Williamson has obviously underachieved during his three-year career, but not nearly to the extent as Hall. The Falcons cornerback's gum-flapping singlehandedly cost his team a win last year, but the bigger issue is his inconsistent coverage skills. According to Football Outsiders, Atlanta cornerbacks ranked 17th against No. 1 receivers in 2005, 31st in 2006 and 10th last season. Hall is often matched up against opponents' best receiver.

For the sake of discussion, let's say Hall is one of the league's best cover cornerbacks. Is his on-field play worth all the off-field baggage that comes with it?

For the Minnesota Vikings, this must feel like being offered $20 for the leftovers you were getting ready to toss into the dumpster. According to Troy Williamson's agent, at least eight teams are interested in trading for the butter-fingered receiver. If that's true, it's hard to believe Williamson won't be dealt somewhere in the very near future.

The Vikings last week made noise about keeping Williamson on the roster, but that now was apparently just a ploy to drive up his trade value.

"It's what we wanted. It's a very positive situation," Williamson's agent David Canter said. "They're (Vikings) letting us put together the trade. There's already been some offers and preliminary discussions. Troy is really excited and he's just anxious to see where he ends up."

It's hard to imagine the Vikings will get more than a sixth or seventh-round pick for Williamson--after all, we're talking about a guy who has dropped enough passes during his time in Minnesota to redefine the word draft bust. But anything the Vikings can get for WIlliamson instead of just cutting him is a nice bonus.