The Atlanta Falcons have little or no depth on their roster, however the workforce has put collectively a pleasant secure of working backs after the primary wave of free agency.
Not solely did Atlanta re-sign Qadree Ollison and Cordarrelle Patterson, the workforce added a Tremendous Bowl-champion in free agent Damien Williams. Followers know all about Ollison and Patterson however little or no about Williams, the previous Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs working again.
An undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma, Williams signed with Miami in 2014, taking part in 4 seasons (2014-2017) and scoring 9 whole touchdowns. After that, he signed with the Chiefs and regardless of restricted utilization within the working sport, Williams scored 13 touchdowns over his first two seasons mixed.
It took Williams till Week 13 of the 2018 season earlier than he actually turned part of the offense.
“I’d always been a special teams guy the first couple of years. At the end of the day, everyone trains hard, but it was a different mindset this offseason knowing what was coming this season. I had to prepare a little differently and take care of my body more,” said Williams to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star in the course of the 2020 playoff run.
The 2019 season was simply one of the best marketing campaign Williams ever put collectively, totaling 498 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns. His 711 whole yards had been additionally a profession excessive — which was a byproduct of his 141 touches that 12 months.
Williams’ greatest moments got here within the postseason, giving manner for his “Playoff Damien” nickname, which Fox Sports activities Commentator Joe Buck made well-known throughout Tremendous Bowl 54 when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers.
Throughout the two playoff video games in 2018, Williams accounted for 4 whole touchdowns. Within the Divisional spherical, Williams amassed 125 yards on 25 carries (5.16 yards per try) and added one other 35 yards as a receiver. He solely totaled 30 yards on the bottom the next week towards New England, however he was a weapon within the passing sport.
Within the following postseason, Williams carried the ball 46 occasions mixed within the Chiefs’ three playoff video games, discovering the top zone six occasions. This was essentially the most touches Williams had ever acquired over a three-game span.
His finest efficiency got here on the NFL’s greatest stage. In a sport the place each groups’quarterbacks struggled, Williams made a powerful case to take dwelling the Super Bowl MVP award. He racked up 133 whole yards (104 yards speeding) and two touchdowns that each got here within the fourth quarter when the workforce was trailing.
After opting out of the 2020 season, Williams was minimize by the Chiefs in the course of the 2021 offseason and later joined the Bears the place success was arduous to seek out. Arthur Smith did a superb job reworking Cordarrelle Patterson after he left the Bears, so hopefully the Falcons can hone in on that playoff magic in the course of the common season.
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Projecting the Falcons’ starting lineups after recent signings
