Remember Karlos Williams? He looked like an up-and-comer as a rookie, and he’s been cleared to resume his NFL career after two years of suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policies.
Williams, recall, with a fifth-round pick out of Florida State in 2015. He’s a big back – 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds – and made a nice impact as a rookie, operating as a change-of-pace behind LeSean McCoy. He ran for 517 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and he scored 9 touchdowns. Looked like he might develop into a really nice player.
It never happened. The Bills cut him in training camp the next year. He might have shown up in less-than-ideal shape, or the team might have decided his off-field issues were more than they wanted to deal with. Per a Reuters report, the league suspended Williams for four games in June, 2016, another 10 games in November that year, and a hit him with a year-long suspension in June, 2017.
But he’s been conditionally reinstated now, free to sign with any team. If he can get himself in good shape, he could wind up as a contributor somewhere.
I don’t think Williams is worth putting on a fantasy roster just yet, but add him to the lengthy list of players who need to be monitored in training camp. While unlikely, there’s some chance he’ll get back to being an effective runner. He’s 25 years old.
In the last five years, only three running backs have run for more than 500 yards and averaged more yards per carry.
| AVERAGING OVER 5 YARDS PER CARRY (last 5 years) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 120 | 728 | 6.07 | 14 |
| 2016 | Mike Gillislee, Buff. | 101 | 577 | 5.71 | 9 |
| 2015 | Thomas Rawls, Sea. | 147 | 830 | 5.65 | 5 |
| 2015 | Karlos Williams, Buff. | 93 | 517 | 5.56 | 9 |
| 2016 | Bilal Powell, NYJ | 131 | 722 | 5.51 | 5 |
| 2018 | Aaron Jones, G.B. | 133 | 728 | 5.47 | 9 |
| 2018 | Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 118 | 641 | 5.43 | 4 |
| 2016 | LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 234 | 1,267 | 5.41 | 14 |
| 2018 | Phillip Lindsay, Den. | 192 | 1,037 | 5.40 | 10 |
| 2014 | Justin Forsett, Balt. | 235 | 1,266 | 5.39 | 8 |
| 2018 | Matt Breida, S.F. | 153 | 814 | 5.32 | 5 |
| 2018 | Gus Edwards, Balt. | 137 | 718 | 5.24 | 2 |
| 2018 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 106 | 554 | 5.23 | 6 |
| 2016 | Jordan Howard, Chi. | 252 | 1,313 | 5.21 | 7 |
| 2018 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 192 | 996 | 5.19 | 10 |
| 2014 | Lamar Miller, Mia. | 216 | 1,099 | 5.09 | 9 |
| 2016 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 205 | 1,043 | 5.09 | 10 |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 322 | 1,631 | 5.07 | 16 |
| 2014 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 222 | 1,124 | 5.06 | 9 |
| 2018 | Melvin Gordon, LAC | 175 | 885 | 5.06 | 14 |
| 2015 | Ryan Mathews, Phil. | 107 | 539 | 5.04 | 7 |
| 2014 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 206 | 1,033 | 5.01 | 14 |
| 2018 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 219 | 1,098 | 5.01 | 13 |
| 2018 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | 261 | 1,307 | 5.01 | 15 |
And Williams back in 2015 scored 9 TDs (7 run, 2 rec) in limited playing time – he averaged a touchdown every 12 touches. Among backs with at least 100 runs/recs, that’s the best ratio of any running back in the last five years.
| TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGE (last 5 years) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Run | Rec | TD | Pct |
| 2015 | Karlos Williams, Buff. | 93 | 11 | 9 | 8.7% |
| 2016 | Mike Gillislee, Buff. | 101 | 9 | 9 | 8.2% |
| 2015 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 125 | 36 | 13 | 8.1% |
| 2016 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 118 | 31 | 11 | 7.4% |
| 2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 120 | 81 | 14 | 7.0% |
| 2018 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 181 | 26 | 14 | 6.8% |
| 2018 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 256 | 59 | 21 | 6.7% |
| 2018 | James White, N.E. | 94 | 87 | 12 | 6.6% |
| 2018 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 194 | 81 | 18 | 6.5% |
| 2014 | Ahmad Bradshaw, Ind. | 90 | 38 | 8 | 6.3% |
| 2018 | Melvin Gordon, LAC | 175 | 50 | 14 | 6.2% |
| 2018 | Alex Collins, Balt. | 114 | 15 | 8 | 6.2% |
| 2016 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | 299 | 7 | 18 | 5.9% |
| 2017 | Chris Thompson, Wash. | 64 | 39 | 6 | 5.8% |
| 2016 | Shaun Draughn, S.F. | 74 | 29 | 6 | 5.8% |
| 2014 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 206 | 40 | 14 | 5.7% |
| 2018 | Aaron Jones, G.B. | 133 | 26 | 9 | 5.7% |
| 2017 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 279 | 64 | 19 | 5.5% |
| 2015 | Ryan Mathews, Phil. | 107 | 20 | 7 | 5.5% |
| 2014 | Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 280 | 37 | 17 | 5.4% |
| 2016 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 293 | 80 | 20 | 5.4% |
—Ian Allan