Tag: Darrel Williams

Cardinals officially sign RB Darrel Williams, release RB Jaylen Samuels

The former Chiefs RB was one of only seven backs last season to have at least 500 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards.

It was a move reported a week ago, but it has finally been announced by the team. The Arizona Cardinals announced Tuesday the signing of former Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrel Williams.

Williams signed a one-year contract. To make room for him on the offseason roster, the team released running back Jaylen Samuels.

Williams spent the last four seasons with the Chiefs after entering the league as an undrafted rookie out of LSU.

He had the most playing time of his career last season and had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He played in all 17 games, starting seven. He rushed for 558 yards and six touchdowns on 3.9 yards per attempt. He added 47 receptions for 452 yards and another two scores.

He was one of only seven running backs to have at least 500 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards in 2021.

The 5-11, 219-pound back is also strong in pass protection.

He would come in to have a similar role he had in Kansas City. He would spell James Conner and give the Cardinals proven production behind him.

As he signed his deal Tuesday, he will likely be in practice for the start of the second week of OTAs on Wednesday.

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Chiefs’ free agent RB Darrel Williams to sign with Cardinals

Darrel Williams is set to sign with the #Cardinals and #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes played a role in Williams landing the new job per a new report.

One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ top offensive players in 2021 has found a new team.

According to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, Darrel Williams is set to sign with the Arizona Cardinals. Kansas City had an interest in bringing the 27-year-old back, but Williams opted to test the market after the two sides were unable to agree to terms. Williams took a visit with the Cardinals earlier this offseason, but he hadn’t seen much traction in the market until now. A return to Kansas City was unlikely after the team added Ronald Jones in free agency.

Schultz claims that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes played a role in Williams landing his new gig with Arizona. He was asked about Williams and vouched for him as someone that he “liked/trusted.” One can presume the line of questioning came from Mahomes’ former college coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who is the head coach of the Cardinals.

A former undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2018, Williams had a breakout campaign in K.C. last season. He was one of three Chiefs players who exceeded 1,000 scrimmage yards last season. He also scored eight touchdowns on the year — a career-high.  Williams played on a one-year contract worth $2.13 million in 2021. I’d expect him to earn similar money on this new contract in Arizona in 2022.

The Cardinals also re-signed James Conner this offseason, but they lost Chase Edmonds, who signed with the Miami Dolphins. Williams could certainly work as a complement to Conner, with a primary role in the passing game as both a receiver and pass-blocker.

Should Williams stick in Arizona this offseason, he’ll face Kansas City in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

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Cardinals to sign RB Darrel Williams

Darrel Williams, who had over 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in 2021 with the Chiefs, gives the Cardinals proven production behind James Conner.

The Arizona Cardinals are adding another veteran player to their running back room. After visiting the team last month, former Kansas City Chiefs running back will be signing with Arizona, according to Jordan Schultz.

Williams spent the last four seasons with the Chiefs after entering the league as an undrafted rookie out of LSU.

He had the most playing time of his career last season and had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He played in all 17 games, starting seven. He rushed for 558 yards and six touchdowns on 3.9 yards per attempt. He added 47 receptions for 452 yards and another two scores.

The 5-11, 219-pound back is also strong in pass protection.

He would come in to have a similar role he had in Kansas City. He would spell James Conner and give the Cardinals proven production behind him.

The running backs currently on the roster behind Conner are Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward, Jaylen Samuels, sixth-round draft pick Keaontay Ingram and undrafted rookies T.J. Pledger and Ronnie Rivers.

According to Schultz, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes vouched for Williams and reached out to the Cardinals. He likely spoke with head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who was Mahomes’ college head coach at Texas Tech.

When the Cardinals announce the move, they will have to make a corresponding roster move to make room for Williams.

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Chiefs free agent RB Darrel Williams visited Cardinals on Monday

Former #Chiefs RB Darrel Williams took a free agent visit with the #Cardinals on Monday.

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One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ top players on offense in 2021 took a visit with another team.

According to the NFL’s personnel notice, the Arizona Cardinals host former Chiefs RB Darrel Williams on a visit on Monday. Kansas City had an interest in bringing the 26-year-old back, but the two sides failed to come to an agreement before the onset of free agency, leading Williams to test the market.

This is the first interest that we’ve heard for Williams during the free agency period. A former undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2018, Williams is coming off of a breakout season. He was one of three Chiefs players, along with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who exceeded 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2021. He also scored eight touchdowns for the team, mostly starting in relief of Clyde Edwards-Helaire when he was injured.

Williams played on a one-year deal worth $2.13 million in 2021. It’s a safe bet that he was hoping to exceed that salary and get a multi-year deal out of Kansas City. They’ve since signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones, but they still could use some depth at the running back position.

The Cardinals re-signed James Conner this offseason, but they also lost their change-of-pace back in Chase Edmonds, who signed with the Miami Dolphins. Should Williams sign with Arizona, he would likely fill that role, especially given his reputation as a pass-catcher, pass-blocker and short-yardage back.

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Cardinals host RB Darrel Williams for visit

Williams rushed for a career-high 558 yards and six touchdowns and also caught 47 passes for 452 yards and two scores in 2021 for the Chiefs.

The Arizona Cardinals could be adding competition to the running back room. James Conner will be the unquestioned starter, having signed a three-year contract to return to the team, they are looking at a veteran to compete with the younger backs on the roster.

According to multiple reports and it will appear on Monday’s NFL transaction report, the Cardinals had former Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrel Williams in for a visit.

Williams spent four seasons with the Chiefs after making the team as an undrafted rookie in 2018.

His role increased each year until in 2021, he even started seven games. The 5-11, 219-lb back had a career-high 558 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt. He also caught 47 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns.

If signed, he would project as the Cardinals’ backup and complementary back, likely used more in the passing game, as they did with Chase Edmonds.

Williams is bigger than Edmonds but does not have the same speed or athleticism.

If signed, he will compete with Eno Benjamin and Jonathan Ward for a role on offense.

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Darrel Williams will test free agency after failing to reach agreement with Chiefs

The #Chiefs tried to keep one of their own before the legal tampering period but failed to come to an agreement.

The Kansas City Chiefs attempted to lock up one of their own ahead of the NFL’s legal tampering period but failed to do so.

As first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chiefs attempted to sign RB Darrel Williams before the legal tampering window opens at noon. The two sides have failed to strike up a deal and as a result, Williams will head to free agency and test his market. KC Star beat writer Herbie Teope confirmed this report.

The 26-year-old Williams is coming off of a breakout season where he exceeded 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored eight touchdowns in Kansas City. The former undrafted free agent out of LSU was one of just three players for the Chiefs last year to finish the season with over 1,000 scrimmage yards along with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

The two sides are expected to remain in contact throughout the NFL’s legal tampering window, but the fact that they couldn’t resolve a contract ahead of the start of free agency is telling. It’s likely that Williams expects to have a stronger market, fresh off of a breakout campaign. It’s also likely that the Chiefs were hoping to retain someone who has become a key player for the team, under what that market value might be.

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Looking at Chiefs’ potential free agent options at running back

Our @Nicolas_Roesch takes a look at some pending free agent running backs that the #Chiefs could be interested in.

The Kansas City Chiefs currently have just two running backs under contract: 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and reserve/future signing Brenden Knox.

Knox spent the preseason with the Dallas Cowboys but wasn’t on a team during the regular season. He signed a reserve/future contract with K.C. back in January after multiple workouts in the regular season. As for Edwards-Helaire, his first two NFL seasons have been injury-riddled and his performances have been inconsistent.

Regardless of how the running back room ends up looking like for the Chiefs in 2022, Edwards-Helaire will likely play a key role. Let’s take a look at some free agent options who could help him and provide some depth at the position.

Will pending free agent RB Darrel Williams be back with the Chiefs in 2022?

Darrel Williams is coming off of a career year. Will the former UDFA running back return to the #Chiefs in 2022?

The Kansas City Chiefs are out to improve their roster during the course of the 2022 NFL offseason. Part of that will be retaining key players on offense, defense and special teams. Handing out contracts to running backs is always a point of contention in the NFL as they’re known as one of the most replaceable positions. Will the Chiefs reward Darrel Williams with a new contract after his 2021 NFL season?

A former undrafted agent out of LSU in 2018, Williams signed a one-year deal with Kansas City last offseason, earning $2.13 million with just under a million in guaranteed money attached to the deal. After proving to be a valuable backup in the 2020 playoffs while filling in for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the team brought him back. He further emphasized that point during the 2021 NFL season, operating as the starting running back in 7-of-17 games played. Williams filled in for Edwards-Helaire again when he dealt with both an early-season MCL sprain and a late-season shoulder injury.

As a result, Williams put up the best season of his young NFL career. He amassed 191 touches for 1,010 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on the year. He was one of only three players in Kansas City to cross the 1,000 scrimmage yard mark along with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. That’s elite company to be in, but could it also price Williams out of Kansas City?

The soon-to-be 27-year-old running back could find other teams interested in his services were he to hit the open market. The Chiefs are unlikely to get in a bidding war to retain him and likely would look to sign him to a contract potentially under his market value. That said, with Edwards-Helaire and reserve/future signee Brenden Knox as the only two running backs under contract, it’s possible that Kansas City values Williams enough to find a way to bring him back in 2022.

We already know that the Chiefs have met with at least one running back at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. It’s possible that they’re looking for mid-to-late round options knowing they won’t be able to bring back all of their pending free agents at the position. Jerick McKinnon is also a pending free agent and could be higher up the priority list given how he finished as the starter for the team during the postseason.

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NFLSU Playoffs: How former Tigers performed on championship weekend

A great day for several former LSU Tigers.

It came down to two games before the annual Super Bowl. Nine former LSU Tigers were in action in the championship round of the NFL playoffs.

It started when the Cincinnati Bengals traveled to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow led an 18-point comeback to force overtime. It was the largest comeback in a conference championship. Burrow found his college teammate Ja’Marr Chase to tie it late in the third quarter.

It was just like old times as the duo helped lead the Bengals back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989. Tyler Shelvin, who was also on that magical 2019 LSU team, was on the winning side as he lifted Burrow onto his shoulders after the monster win.

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Unfortunately, it wasn’t all smiles for the trio of former LSU Tigers on the Chiefs’ roster. Darrel Williams, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Tyrann Mathieu see their season end one game before the Super Bowl. The Bengals had to wait to find out their opponent in two weeks.

A pair of former Tigers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Andrew Whitworth were hoping on their first trip to the Super Bowl. They hosted Arden Key and the 49ers in the second game of the day. Beckham was more than ready to contribute.

The storybook season ended for San Francisco after it swept the Rams in the regular season just to make it into the playoffs.

With the Bengals and Rams battling in the Super Bowl, five former LSU Tigers move on to the final game. Thaddeus Moss would be No. 6, but he is on the injured reserve list.

Super Bowl Joe: Burrow and the Bengals punch their ticket

Joey B makes history again.

It was a wild ride so far in the playoffs. On Sunday it was set up for an epic showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The road team was led by former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and he was tasked with battling Patrick Mahomes in Arrowhead.

It was a good day for the former Heisman Trophy winner and CFP national champion as Burrow got the last laugh in overtime. After falling down by 18 points, it was the Bengals who came roaring back in this game.

Burrow finished the AFC title game with 250 yards and two touchdown passes. He was also intercepted once. Just like it was in Week 17 against these same Chiefs, the Bengals allowed just three second-half points to Kansas City as they won in the extra session.

Ja’Marr Chase hauled in his first postseason touchdown in the second half of the game. They converted the two-point conversion to tie the game at 21 overall.

Chase caught six passes for 54 yards and that one touchdown. Tyler Shelvin is the other member of that 2019 team that is heading to the Super Bowl. Burrow becomes the first quarterback drafted No. 1 overall to make it to the biggest game of the year in his first two seasons.

For Darrel Williams, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Tyrann Mathieu their run, unfortunately, comes to an end. The trio has been to the Super Bowl before but it just wasn’t in the cards this year.

Just like Joe Burrow did in year two at LSU, he leads his team to the championship in his second season with the Bengals. They head off to Los Angeles to play for the Lombardi Trophy.