Though the Baltimore Ravens are in pretty good health and should have everyone back at practice next week, a little extra depth never hurt anyone. According to the transactions list, the Ravens have signed undrafted free agent running back Ty’Son Williams.
The move comes with running backs Justice Hill and Kenjon Barner a little banged up and missing some practices this week. Though it’s unlikely Williams can even make Baltimore’s 53-man roster at this point, adding him to the 80-man roster will allow the Ravens to limit reps for their primary running backs ahead of the regular season. Williams will also have a chance to prove he’s worth keeping around on the practice squad or draw enough praise to get a shot on another team.
Williams bounced around in college, playing for North Carolina, South Carolina, and eventually finishing at BYU. He was on a good pace in 2019, rushing for 264 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. Over his four years in college, Williams carried the ball 233 times for 1,120 yards and eight touchdowns, adding another 231 yards and a touchdown on 29 receptions.
The Ravens must have liked what they saw from Williams during the draft process and there’s plenty of reasons why. According to BYU, Williams put up a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, which would have ranked sixth among the running backs invited to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Though Baltimore was linked to Williams following the 2020 NFL Draft, he wasn’t among the UDFAs the team actually signed.
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