Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

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Report: Williams didn’t get any snaps on offense Wednesday

Posted by Mike Wilkening on October 16, 2014, 12:24 AM EDT

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After the Bills made backup wide receiver Mike Williams inactive on Sunday vs. New England, head coach Doug Marrone indicated it was “a tough call.”

Marrone also said the fifth-year receiver had dealt with the decision well.

“We talked to him and he handled it like a pro and he’ll be ready to go next week,” Marrone said at the time, according to the club.

Whether the Bills are ready to play him Sunday vs. Minnesota remains to be seen.

Per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, Williams “did not take a rep with the offense” in Wednesday’s practice.

On Wednesday, Marrone declined to say whether Williams would be active against the Vikings, preferring to take a wait-and-see approach.

“For the decisions of inactives and stuff, we’ll see how the week goes,” Marrone said, according to a transcript of his remarks from the team. “I don’t want to get myself in a bind.”

Since being made a healthy scratch on Sunday, news emerged that Williams’ agent, Hadley Engelhard, wished to explore a trade. Williams, for his part, said he wants to stay in Buffalo. And on Wednesday, Marrone allowed that he was miffed about the agent’s role in potentially seeking a deal, according to the transcript of the head coach’s remarks. However, Marrone did say he believed Williams was happy in Buffalo for the time being.


As long as Williams is a backup who doesn’t have a role on special teams, his spot could be tenuous each week. That was driven home on Sunday. It comes down to this: if the Bills believe he can help the offense, he’ll likely be active. There isn’t exactly a surplus of offensive production in Buffalo. The Bills are 25th in yards and 26th in points entering Week Seven.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/16/report-mike-williams-didnt-get-any-practice-snaps-wednesday/

[YardRat]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

Allegedly he requested to practice with the scout team, so he could earn his spot on the gameday roster back.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

“I won scout team player (two weeks ago), I would’ve won it if we won this past week. I’ll try to win it this week. I was on scout team again (Wednesday). I didn’t change my routine. I got on the scout team because I wanted to be on scout team. I wanted to do it. They didn’t put me on scout team. I just wanted to be on all the scout team if I’m not going to be getting that many reps (on offense).”

[streetkings01]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

Why did we trade for him again? Seems as if he's another weapon Hackett has no idea how to use!

[feldspar]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

Makes absolutely zero sense to me.

[DraftBoy]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

There is something here that isn't getting reported. I wonder if some of the history here is bubbling back up?

[Fletch]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

This is funny, I recall taking heat for suggesting that he wouldn't make much of an impact and have may 7 or 800 yards. At this point that would be a bonanza for him.

Why does everyone put it on the coaches?

Manuel didn't know what WR was and only had passes to 3 WRs in any given game. Orton's doing better but even he clearly favors Chandler and Jackson much like Manuel did. Anyone ever think that maybe our WRs aren't getting open like they're supposed to? Watkins obviously needs to catch the ball with no one around ("in space") or apparently he's useless.

In Orton's two games:

Jackson: 11 catches for 75 yards
Chandler: 10 for 126
Woods: 10 for 115
Watkins: 9 for 114
Hogan: 7 for 99
Spiller: 3 for 25
Goodwin: 1 for 42
Williams: 1 for 8
Gragg: 1 for 2
Summers: 1 for 1

More passes go to our RB and TE than to our two starting WRs. How many other teams have that? It was worse under Manuel.

I just don't think that our WRs are as good as everyone insisted and continue to insist that they are.

[Ingtar33]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

as 3rd WR in SF stevie johnson has put up better numbers then every WR in buffalo not named watkins (and basically the same numbers as watkins)

The better question is why we traded stevie johnson for a bag of beans. I seem to recall revis couldn't cover stevie johnson at all. We knew revis was coming back into the division, and yet we got rid of the only player in the division revis couldn't cover. It's planning like that which keeps us out of the playoffs.

[Fletch]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

as 3rd WR in SF stevie johnson has put up better numbers then every WR in buffalo not named watkins (and basically the same numbers as watkins)

The better question is why we traded stevie johnson for a bag of beans. I seem to recall revis couldn't cover stevie johnson at all. We knew revis was coming back into the division, and yet we got rid of the only player in the division revis couldn't cover. It's planning like that which keeps us out of the playoffs.

Thank you!!

[Fletch]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

I think we know the answer to that however.

Whaley

I can't come close to imagining a loss to the Vikes on Sunday, but if in the 1 in whatever chance that it happens, I'd fire Whaley at the end of the game. He can't go soon enough.

[feldspar]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

This is funny, I recall taking heat for suggesting that he wouldn't make much of an impact and have may 7 or 800 yards. At this point that would be a bonanza for him.

Why does everyone put it on the coaches?

Manuel didn't know what WR was and only had passes to 3 WRs in any given game. Orton's doing better but even he clearly favors Chandler and Jackson much like Manuel did. Anyone ever think that maybe our WRs aren't getting open like they're supposed to? Watkins obviously needs to catch the ball with no one around ("in space") or apparently he's useless.

In Orton's two games:

Jackson: 11 catches for 75 yards
Chandler: 10 for 126
Woods: 10 for 115
Watkins: 9 for 114
Hogan: 7 for 99
Spiller: 3 for 25
Goodwin: 1 for 42
Williams: 1 for 8
Gragg: 1 for 2
Summers: 1 for 1

More passes go to our RB and TE than to our two starting WRs. How many other teams have that? It was worse under Manuel.

I just don't think that our WRs are as good as everyone insisted and continue to insist that they are.

If you want to talk numbers, Mike Williams probably has AT LEAST three times the production of all the other wide receivers on our roster COMBINED under his belt in his career...at least. I haven't done the math, but I'm pretty sure that's accurate. We're not talking about an old man here, either. Williams is only 27.

Wide receivers still account for the most yards gained under Orton so far, as opposed to other positions.

Just don't understand why they would hold Williams out for a consecutive week...if they do that, which remains to be seen.

But if the Bills are smart, they'll run the ball a lot and also throw to the backs a lot this week. That should be effective against the Vikes, and also open up the intermediate-to-long passing game.

Also, Goodwin has one catch for the entire year. Granted, it was a big catch, but why is that OK? I agree with DraftBoy in that there is something they are not telling us, especially if Mike Williams is a healthy scratch again this week.

[Fletch]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

I have no idea. But I'll insist that Williams is still a so-so receiver, somewhere between being a solid starter and simply a third, but not slot, option.

He was brought on specifically to be a red zone target if you'll recall due to his size. 6'2"/204, which really isn't that big and not much bigger than Watkins, who by the hype should be the same red zone target.

Would have made much more sense to draft Evans (6'5"/230) or Benjamin (6'5"/240), whichever would have been there at 9th, and both of whom have RZ skills, keep our 1st and 4th from next season, and have kept Stevie.

I think we'd have been much further along right now with Benjamin, Stevie, Woods, Hogan, and Williams. That would have been two WRs that have played together significantly in Stevie and Woods, rather than just one coming into the season. I will also continue to stand by my prediction that Watkins won't even be the best WR in this draft class. Benjamin is easily looking that role now, Evans is on par with Watkins, or close enough right now. Hurns has played well on a far worse team just as Evans has.

As to this:

If you want to talk numbers, Mike Williams probably has AT LEAST three times the production of all the other wide receivers on our roster COMBINED under his belt in his career...at least. I haven't done the math, but I'm pretty sure that's accurate.

That's correct, but only by default. I've pointed that out numerous times prior to the season. Watkins is a rookie, Woods and Goodwin are 2nd year guys. So while true, it's useless info in that regard. Where it's not useless is in dispelling the notion that we have some of the best WRs in the game. Experience, or lack thereof, as you imply in that statement, prohibits any such team with such a cadre of WRs from being that good.

[kingJofNYC]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

as 3rd WR in SF stevie johnson has put up better numbers then every WR in buffalo not named watkins (and basically the same numbers as watkins)

The better question is why we traded stevie johnson for a bag of beans. I seem to recall revis couldn't cover stevie johnson at all. We knew revis was coming back into the division, and yet we got rid of the only player in the division revis couldn't cover. It's planning like that which keeps us out of the playoffs.

Doug Moron didn't like him, plain and simple.

Hated that trade.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

Doug Moron didn't like him, plain and simple.

Hated that trade.

It seems he doesn't like Williams either. They have a history, obviously. If Schiano and Morris can get production from Williams and Marrone can't figure out how to use him, then I know where I lay the fault.

[yordad]

Re: Mike Williams gets no snaps in practice

I really don't think there is anything more to it. Hogan plays special teams. Williams doesn't. They activated the extra tight end because the line suxs. THis is a non story, it isn't like Williams has been a superstar and it isn't like Hogan didnt have a good game. Hell, his last game was better than any from Williams this year anyways.