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Andre Williams - RB (1 Viewer)

Williams ended up on my teams in every draft so far. He's usually there in the 3rd. I'd be ecstatic about that if all my leagues weren't ppr.
Usually there in the 3rd? I wouldnt touch him that high. Maybe the 5th/6th, and ill start thinking about him. At least in redrafts. Jennings is more then capable, in fact i'd be suprised if he didnt end the year with more production then A-Will.
I'm assuming he's CLEARLY talking about dynasty. Like 110% talking about dynasty. And the more I watch Williams I'm wanting to take him in the 2nd cause I'm not sure he lasts till the third. Obviously, depends on how my rookie drafts go down the line. But honestly, I love everything about the kid except his ability to catch the ball.

Then again, he didn't have any catches... so who knows is he that bad or was he just not used that way? If he ended up starting at some point this season or next season McAdoo would require him to catch the ball I'm sure. I'd be willing to bet it's the main focus they'll have with him this off-season. I'd personally love to see this kid get a real shot, he seems like such a 'Coughlin' style of running back.

He does run a lot like a smaller, faster Jacobs. Brandon Jacobs BMI was 33.1, Williams is 32.1 on his BMI which is fairly close. He's a BIG boy. And he's actually rather agile for his size. 4.56 isn't that awful for a RB, sure it's not elite top end speed but it's fast enough. He likely won't be breaking many 80 yard runs but he'll bust some 40+ ones.

For his size, he's creepy agile. He placed 2nd at the RB position in the 20 yard shuttle at 4.06 tied with Dri Archer and just slightly below Sankey's 4.0. Placed 3rd in the 60 yard shuttle behind Tyler Gaffney and George Atkinson.

And he also finished 3rd in the broad jump with a pretty obnoxious 10' 9" behind only Lance Seastrunk and Jerick McKinnon.

Alf has proved you don't have to catch balls to be a dominant runner in this league. Does it help for PPR leagues? Sure, but he could still be a beastly RB2 with upside. He could easily turn into a 1000+ yard 10+ TD guy for the Giants.
It's not like Eli can throw anymore anyway.
 
I'm assuming he's CLEARLY talking about dynasty. Like 110% talking about dynasty. And the more I watch Williams I'm wanting to take him in the 2nd cause I'm not sure he lasts till the third. Obviously, depends on how my rookie drafts go down the line. But honestly, I love everything about the kid except his ability to catch the ball.

Then again, he didn't have any catches... so who knows is he that bad or was he just not used that way? If he ended up starting at some point this season or next season McAdoo would require him to catch the ball I'm sure. I'd be willing to bet it's the main focus they'll have with him this off-season. I'd personally love to see this kid get a real shot, he seems like such a 'Coughlin' style of running back.
If you saw him during the combine drills, you'd know he was "that bad". I like him quite a bit, but he's going to lose serious value in ppr leagues - he'll be a Chris Ivory, Shonn Green, Alfred Morris type where you'd be lucky if he finishes with 15 receptions on the season.

 
Oh i'd take the under on 15 rec's for sure. Jennings will be the guy in on all passing downs. BUT, it is a new regime now that Gilbride is out of town who never liked throwing to his backs. The GMen didnt draft this kid to catch as you eluded to. He's going to be that nasty runner in the trenches/GL. I think him and Jennings compliment each other really well. BTW, there is still that guy David Wilson sticking around....

 
Oh i'd take the under on 15 rec's for sure. Jennings will be the guy in on all passing downs. BUT, it is a new regime now that Gilbride is out of town who never liked throwing to his backs. The GMen didnt draft this kid to catch as you eluded to. He's going to be that nasty runner in the trenches/GL. I think him and Jennings compliment each other really well. BTW, there is still that guy David Wilson sticking around....
MAYBE sticking around, and even if is he cleared to play and healthy when the season rolls around, he's going to hurt Jennings value more than Williams Id think.

 
Agreed on that but its another offensive option to compete for touches and lets be honest, neither Jennings/Williams come close to D-Wilson in terms of explosiveness. It will be interesting to see what role they give him IF he's healthy. He cant pass block so he wont be playing 3rd downs, but he's electric in the open field. Should be fun to watch how it plays out.

 
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Agreed on that but its another offensive option to compete for touches and lets be honest, neither Jennings/Williams come close to D-Wilson in terms of explosiveness. It will be interesting to see what role they give him IF he's healthy. He cant pass block so he wont be playing 3rd downs, but he's electric in the open field. Should be fun to watch how it plays out.
Wilson is definitely the 'whole package' if you will at the position. The problem is, outside from his obvious injury uncertainty. That he can't seem to just screw his head on straight and focus on the game and shut the naysayer's out. He needs to get rid of his jitters and nerves if he's going to come back and compete. If he can get out of his own head and hold onto the ball though I still think he could have several premiere years on the team. That's proved to be a pretty big if though.

The more likely scenario is that he either goes the way of Jahvid Best and never gets cleared for full contact again (which from what we keep hearing from the Giants this doesn't sound likely) or he just never really makes that talent click with his brain and goes the way of soooo many before him.

As a Giants fan and a dynasty owner in one league I really hope he gets cleared and gets his $h!t together because I still think the kid could really be something special. But I'm not holding my breath like I was entering week one last year. That said, his best chance is probably to put together a solid like 150 touch season or two then move on from NY to a RB needy team. He's a free agent by 2016 which would make him only 25 entering that year's season. He came in incredibly, incredibly young. Even at the start of this season he'll be 23 which is younger than a lot of the backs coming out from the draft his year. So there's definitely still time for him to get it all together.

 
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I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
Oh sure, without question. That said, I'm not sure Jennings is that big of a road block. My gut tells me Williams will get a chance at early down work very early in the season. And depending on his success his role will continue to grow.

I'm thinking week one you might see something like Jennings with like 15-18 carries and Williams with 8-10. But Williams could easily flip those numbers by week 6-8 with good production. He'll never be a three down back because he apparently couldn't catch Ebola in an African jungle. But he could be an amazing early down guy with massive double digit TD potential.

 
I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
If the only thing standing between Andre and a job is rashad Jennings, I'm not too worried

 
I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
If the only thing standing between Andre and a job is rashad Jennings, I'm not too worried
Yeah, I'd kill for someone like Seastrunk or Hill to only have a guy like Jennings standing in front of him.
 
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I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
If the only thing standing between Andre and a job is rashad Jennings, I'm not too worried
Samething I sad man, but it's not a given.
 
I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
If the only thing standing between Andre and a job is rashad Jennings, I'm not too worried
Samething I sad man, but it's not a given.
nope nothing is a given, hell maybe Peyton HIllis is the man this year

 
I'm worried about Jennings more than Wilson's neck.
Not actually sure what you mean here?
I'm trying to envision a scenario where Andre Williams is relevant this season. His road blocks are Jennings and Wilson. It seems more likely that Jennings is the bigger obstacle since he's healthy.
If the only thing standing between Andre and a job is rashad Jennings, I'm not too worried
Samething I sad man, but it's not a given.
nope nothing is a given, hell maybe Peyton HIllis is the man this year
And maybe Mexico will be the most wealthy country in the world by 2016. Anything is possible I suppose..........

 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

After a recent visit with Tom Coughlin, ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes the fourth-round selection of Andre Williams is a sign the Giants "want to retake the line of scrimmage."

Williams is a downhill, no-nonsense power back in the style of Michael Turner. His weakness is the passing game, where Williams simply can't catch. Mort said his "takeaway" after the Coughlin visit was, "Who says we have to throw to him?" If Williams can pass block, he can stay on the field in passing situations even if the Giants aren't feeding him targets. Turner functioned in that way in Atlanta, Stevan Ridley in New England, and Ryan Grant in Green Bay.

May 22 - 4:19 PM

 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

After a recent visit with Tom Coughlin, ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes the fourth-round selection of Andre Williams is a sign the Giants "want to retake the line of scrimmage."

Williams is a downhill, no-nonsense power back in the style of Michael Turner. His weakness is the passing game, where Williams simply can't catch. Mort said his "takeaway" after the Coughlin visit was, "Who says we have to throw to him?" If Williams can pass block, he can stay on the field in passing situations even if the Giants aren't feeding him targets. Turner functioned in that way in Atlanta, Stevan Ridley in New England, and Ryan Grant in Green Bay.

May 22 - 4:19 PM
This is a brilliant point really... plenty of RBs made their claim to fame without being good backfield receivers. I feel like this gets a little to overblown in todays NFL because of your Foster/Rice/McCoy/Forte/Charles type RBs. As well as in fantasy because of the higher prevalence of PPR leagues. Even AD was never a big deal receiving back. He has 206 receptions in his career, Forte and Charles had more than 1/3 that total last season alone.

 
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6,0

227 lbs

The more I watch this guy, the more I begin to realize he is the complete package at Running Back. He's got size, speed, and power. Definitely an upgrade over the RB on a few teams in the league.

2nd / 3rd Rounder. Excited to see where he lands. I want to see a 4.4 forty.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujt1S9P2XHE
I see a whole lotta great blocking by the O-line in that video. :shrug:
You are absolutely right about that. However, Andre Williams also did a really good job of following and reading his line and hitting the right holes. I mean, he is what he is, which is a late 2nd, early 3rd round rookie pick with upside. When you consider guys like Hyde and Hill (I like neither at their prices) are going 23 and 10 spots higher than Williams, on avg, in PPR leagues, Williams is a great bargain. I am down on both Hyde and Hill, so I don't see any advantage in drafting them 1-2 rounds earlier than Williams. You could even say that Williams landed in a more favorable situation. From a metrics point of view, Williams is far above those two guys. I'd probably rank the rookie RBs as:

Sankey

Mason

Williams

McKinnon

Archer

 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

After a recent visit with Tom Coughlin, ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes the fourth-round selection of Andre Williams is a sign the Giants "want to retake the line of scrimmage."

Williams is a downhill, no-nonsense power back in the style of Michael Turner. His weakness is the passing game, where Williams simply can't catch. Mort said his "takeaway" after the Coughlin visit was, "Who says we have to throw to him?" If Williams can pass block, he can stay on the field in passing situations even if the Giants aren't feeding him targets. Turner functioned in that way in Atlanta, Stevan Ridley in New England, and Ryan Grant in Green Bay.

May 22 - 4:19 PM
This is a brilliant point really... plenty of RBs made their claim to fame without being good backfield receivers. I feel like this gets a little to overblown in todays NFL because of your Foster/Rice/McCoy/Forte/Charles type RBs. As well as in fantasy because of the higher prevalence of PPR leagues. Even AD was never a big deal receiving back. He has 206 receptions in his career, Forte and Charles had more than 1/3 that total last season alone.
it just makes his ceiling that much lower in FFland.

 
I would not touch him unless he fell way down. He is a career 2 down rb with an underrated vet in front of him for the next couple years who is a 3 down player and a much better younger RB in Wilson who will demand touches. He won't warrant enough touches to be fantasy relevant in redraft and in dynasty I will pass on him for higher upside RB's that can catch the ball.

 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

After a recent visit with Tom Coughlin, ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes the fourth-round selection of Andre Williams is a sign the Giants "want to retake the line of scrimmage."

Williams is a downhill, no-nonsense power back in the style of Michael Turner. His weakness is the passing game, where Williams simply can't catch. Mort said his "takeaway" after the Coughlin visit was, "Who says we have to throw to him?" If Williams can pass block, he can stay on the field in passing situations even if the Giants aren't feeding him targets. Turner functioned in that way in Atlanta, Stevan Ridley in New England, and Ryan Grant in Green Bay.

May 22 - 4:19 PM
This is a brilliant point really... plenty of RBs made their claim to fame without being good backfield receivers. I feel like this gets a little to overblown in todays NFL because of your Foster/Rice/McCoy/Forte/Charles type RBs. As well as in fantasy because of the higher prevalence of PPR leagues. Even AD was never a big deal receiving back. He has 206 receptions in his career, Forte and Charles had more than 1/3 that total last season alone.
it just makes his ceiling that much lower in FFland.
Couldn't you see him plunging in 5 TDs over getting 30 catches? Anything north of 5 TDs is gravy. Sure the reception yards difference, but he's not going to be doing wheel routes. It's just not who he is yet.

There are plenty of "types" of viable FF RBs. He may just be the all yardage guy (like 100-120 a game) or the all TD guy (like 30 yards and 1-2 TDs, a lot of GL work only).

 
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I would not touch him unless he fell way down. He is a career 2 down rb with an underrated vet in front of him for the next couple years who is a 3 down player and a much better younger RB in Wilson who will demand touches. He won't warrant enough touches to be fantasy relevant in redraft and in dynasty I will pass on him for higher upside RB's that can catch the ball.
Personally, I think Coughlin found his new favorite battering ram. :P

 
Great older SI article on Williams here: The Renaissance Heisman candidate: Boston College's Andre Williams

A lot of great insight into this guy and what players/coaches think about him. Sounds like he comes from a family of just freak athletes to. Impressive read and impressive guy it sounds like.

I pasted a few lines below to help paint the picture better for a shortened read. I just bought in on Williams in a startup, so this type of background makes me think there's something here long term. He's going to emerge. Seeing the photos of him in the NYG uni and his legs/calves, the guy is thick, lean and powerful...almost like Hershel Walker/Roger Craig legs/running style where his legs and knees are always out far in front of him. He's got one season of high in-game mileage and that's it. Sure the book is out, he can't catch, but their new O wasn't passing to RB's anyways. Like it says, the perfect O just happened to meet the perfect RB.

"He's one of the main guys responsible when you think back to the change in BC football," said running backs coach Al Washington. "That'll be his legacy, the rebirth of old school."

When Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster began watching film on Boston College in preparation for a Nov. 2 meeting, he saw Williams barrel his way through defenses and asked: "Where was he the last couple years?"

Through his first three years with the Eagles, Williams established himself as a solid but unspectacular back. He never ran for more than 584 yards or scored more than four touchdowns in a season. His totals so far this fall -- 2,073 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns -- have well surpassed his combined numbers from 2010 to '12.

Williams had fumbling issues early in his career, and he suffered nagging injuries to his shoulder, abdominal muscle and hamstring.

Still, his role as the team's leading back became clear to Addazio immediately. "In the first spring practice," Addazio said, "he was running guys over and nobody could tackle him."

When strength and conditioning coach Frank Piraino first saw Williams walk into the weight room, he assumed the player was a middle linebacker or a fullback. Then Piraino saw Williams run for the first time. He asked the coach nearest him, "If he's the running back, why is he still playing college football? That guy should be long gone if he's that big and can run like that."

Piraino coached at Florida from 2005-10, during Urban Meyer's heyday. He has seen plenty of weight room freaks. What impressed him most about Williams were his legs, which are so massive that he has to buy pants with a size 38 waist -- instead of size 36 -- so he can pull them up over his massive thighs.

"Look at the kid, he's a 230-pound dude and he's all lower body," Piraino said before borrowing a line from junior defensive back Sean Sylvia: "The kid looks like he has four hamstrings."

Prior to the season, Williams registered a broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches, which would have ranked first among tailbacks at the 2013 NFL combine. His 4.39 40 -- the average of three handheld times -- would have ranked third.

Ervin Sr. was a track star in high school in Jamaica. Andre's oldest brother, Ervin Jr. (29), played a year of football at New Hampshire. (He was nicknamed "Erv The Swerve.") His older sister, Krystal (25), ran sprints for the track team at Cornell, and his younger brother, Kareem, rushed for 309 yards and four touchdowns to lead Parkland to a district championship last weekend. (Kareem is still awaiting his first Division I offer.)

"Andre is a runner from birth," said Lancelene. "He just loves to run. Our whole family are runners."

Part of what slowed Williams early in his career was shuffling through four offensive coordinators in three seasons. So when Ryan Day arrived this winter, he met with Williams in his office. "You don't know how lucky you are," Day told him. "Trust me on this."

Boston College ran mostly zone-blocking schemes last year, which requires more patience as the offensive line moves from east to west. The Eagles' new power approach with gap-blocking schemes allows him to hit holes going downhill, perfect for his bruising north-south style.

Day recalled some skepticism, sensing Williams saw him as another coordinator telling him the things he'd want to hear. But Day's message at that meeting proved prophetic: "The perfect running back has met the perfect offense."

The joke among the offensive staff is that the Eagles are the only team in the country that sends in extra offensive linemen to run a two-minute drill.

Added Foster: "When it's all said and done, [Williams] is their offense."

Williams has carried the ball more than 30 times in six games this season. Instead of wearing down, he compliments the staff for keeping him fresh. Williams doesn't take live contact reps during the week, a move he says has allowed him to stay healthier despite the in-game pounding.

Williams' statistics make him a compelling Heisman candidate. If he hits his 188.5-yard rushing average at Syracuse, he'll climb to fourth on the Division I single-season rushing list, trailing only Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (2,628), UCF's Kevin Smith (2,567) and USC's Marcus Allen (2,342). Sanders and Allen, of course, went on to win the Heisman.

But perhaps more remarkable than Williams' numbers is the manner in which he's run the ball. "Defensive backs cringe," said Foster, "when he comes through at full speed."

As games wear on, Day can see the holes get bigger from up in the booth, a byproduct of the offensive line and tight ends wearing down the opponent. Senior wide receiver Alex Amidon notices Williams becoming more powerful, as defensive backs stop running downhill toward Williams and shy away from contact.

"The cornerbacks stop talking, stop playing and wear out throughout the game," Amidon said. "They don't want to be part of him after halftime, after the third quarter."

Defenses know exactly what's coming, and so far they've been unable to stop it. Williams has averaged 265.7 yards and 7.7 yards per carry over the past four games, plowing through stacked boxes as he racks up monster numbers.

"It's a credit to his durability and toughness that he keeps doing it, and doing it and doing it," Foster says.

Addazio hopes Williams can stiff-arm his way to New York for the Heisman ceremony in December. While Williams has put forth the country's most impressive statistical season...

I like this comment too:

Just something to keep in mind ... in the closest Heisman Trophy vote ever, Alabama RB Mark Ingram (who edged Stanford RB Toby Gerhart to claim the 2009 Heisman Trophy) finished the season with 271 Att, 1,658 Yds, 6.1 Avg, 17 TD.

While the 2nd place finisher Toby Gerhart finished the season with 343 Att, 1,871 Yds, 5.5 Avg, 28 TD.

And with one week to go, Andre Williams' stat line reads: 320 Att, 2,073 Yds, 6.38 Avg, 16 TD.

 
I would not touch him unless he fell way down. He is a career 2 down rb with an underrated vet in front of him for the next couple years who is a 3 down player and a much better younger RB in Wilson who will demand touches. He won't warrant enough touches to be fantasy relevant in redraft and in dynasty I will pass on him for higher upside RB's that can catch the ball.
Personally, I think Coughlin found his new favorite battering ram. :P
Yeah but you generally have to control a game in order to impose that battering ram mentality. Doesn't work as well when you are playing 31-21 ball with the eagles and other teams that can score regularly.

 
I'm a fan of his old school, barbaric running style, kind of like a combo of a bigger Bernard Pierce with a shorter Eddie George.

Williams will just try and run straight through and over defenders, like a human monster truck or runaway cement mixer.

He does have build up speed, but is a long strider with deceptive speed once he opens up, if he can blast through a second or third level defender. Had a few long TDs and impressive instances where he wasn't caught from behind.

Hands are a huge red flag, but he was reportedly better at his pro day (that may not be saying a lot).

In two separate drafts, at a similar point in the early third, I took West in the earlier one. In the latter, after looking at it more closely, though I think West may be more talented and is a more complete RB, Williams might be close on talent, and I like his situation better.

Tate could get injured and Crowell wasn't drafted and may not even make the team.

BUT, Jennings isn't a special RB and is 29, and even if Wilson is cleared after a potential career-ending neck injury, Coughlin seems to want nothing to do with him. So Williams appears to have less formidable obstacles to significant playing time. Even if Wilson miraculously earns Coughlin's trust, Williams is built more to be a volume back in a RBBC and would likely get the goal line carries. Tate is more talented and younger than Jennings, and has the size to be both a volume and goal line back. And there is the real possibility that Crowell is more talented than West (some scouts think he has the most talent at his position from the RB class of '14, period, too bad scouts found him one of the most questionable character-wise and off the field, so much so that he managed to remain undrafted, despite wide acknowledgement of his run skills), and he doesn't have the double strike of a possible career ending neck injury or being in the doghouse of the HC before he even hits the field.

If Tate gets hurt, his contract was structured in such a way that he could easily be discarded after 2014, but perhaps the contract of Jennings is similar?

 
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A little sidenote from Rotoworld:

David Wilson (neck surgery) did not gain medical clearance after a Wednesday MRI and exam.
So, Jennings is still the only major competition in front of him.

 
A little sidenote from Rotoworld:

David Wilson (neck surgery) did not gain medical clearance after a Wednesday MRI and exam.
So, Jennings is still the only major competition in front of him.
Peyton Hillis has been looking good in OTA's

The depth chart at RB right now (OTA's) looks like this

1. Rashad Jennings

2. Peyton Hillis

3. Michael Cox

4. Andre Williams

5. David Wilson

6. Kendall Gaskins

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2014/06/giants_depth_chart_the_otas_version.html

 
Agreed on that but its another offensive option to compete for touches and lets be honest, neither Jennings/Williams come close to D-Wilson in terms of explosiveness. It will be interesting to see what role they give him IF he's healthy. He cant pass block so he wont be playing 3rd downs, but he's electric in the open field. Should be fun to watch how it plays out.
I would disagree. I think 230lbs at 4.5 speed compares favorably to 205 at 4.4. Wilson under performed when he was healthy, so he is no insurmountable obstacle even if he is cleared. I like Williams chances of becoming the starter early on. I was able to get him at 3.6 twice and 12.10 in a startup.
 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

According to ESPN New York, fourth-round RB Andre Williams has looked like a "chaotic runner" in Giants OTAs.

Per reporter Dan Graziano, there are "lot of arms and elbows flying around" when Williams runs, and he "likely needs to refine his technique." It's not terribly surprising for a mid-round basher. Refining technique is the kind of thing OTAs are for.

Source: ESPN New York

Jun 5 - 5:09 PM
 
Rotoworld:

Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross reportedly assigned Andre Williams a second- to third-round grade before the G-Men selected Williams in the fourth round.

Per beat reporter Jordan Raanan, "at least one person" within the Giants gave Williams a first-round grade. Raanan believes Williams' chances at rookie-year playing time hinge on showing the coaching staff whether he can be an effective pass blocker. It's well known Williams is a poor pass catcher. If he can block, however, the Giants can function offensively with Williams on passing downs.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Jun 16 - 3:31 PM
 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

ESPN New York's Dan Graziano said, "Everything I heard about (Giants rookie RB Andre) Williams in spring practices indicated he needed a lot more work."

Williams is a north-south runner that has surprising speed once he breaks into the second level. He leaves a lot to be desired in the passing game, however, and it is likely that aspect of his game that requires the work. Unless he shows aptitude as a pass blocker, he will find playing time hard to come by his rookie year.

Source: ESPN New York

Jul 19 - 10:50 AM
 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

Rookie Andre Williams has struggled in the passing game early at Giants camp.

Observers of Williams at Boston College and the Combine could've predicted this; he can't catch a cold. Per beat writer Jordan Raanan, Williams "completely missed" a swing pass in Thursday's practice, later dropping an easy screen in 11-on-11s and catching one ball "with his facemask." Williams has continued to work with the starting goal-line offense, but has obvious pass-game limitations.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Jul 24 - 6:49 PM
 
Rotoworld:

The Newark Star-Ledger believes rookie Andre Williams will open the season as the Giants' goal-line back.

Williams is currently listed as the No. 4 running back, but has been getting first-team reps with the goal-line offense. The Star-Ledger considers Williams the favorite for red-zone duties "as long as he holds on to the football." The Giants are considering a three-back rotation behind Rashad Jennings, with David Wilson in a change-of-pace role and Williams as a short-yardage specialist.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Jul 26 - 3:36 PM
 
Rotoworld:

Andre Williams - RB - Giants

Andre Williams continues to take the goal-line snaps at Giants camp.

Williams was first spotted in first-team goal-line packages more than a week ago, and nothing has changed. It's a place the fourth-round rookie can contribute right away, as the 230-pound grinder has a ways to go in pass protection and as a receiver. Rashad Jennings has a potential vulture on his hands.

Related: Rashad Jennings

Source: New York Daily News

Aug 1 - 7:49 AM
 
True to form.

I think he will be more than a goal line back in a year or two, maybe sooner.

The human monster truck.

Who does he remind the thread of as a comp. IMO, he is a little like a smaller, not as fast (but still pretty big and fast for his size) Christian Okoye, who reportedly won the Nigerian national 100 m. and shot put. If accurate, that may have been unprecedented (that would be like Usain Bolt winning the Jamaican shot put, or SF Pro Bowl NT and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Carter winning the US 100 title).

 
Being the fastest sprinter and best shot putter in a given nation are not skills sets we are accustomed to being conjoined.

 
True to form.

I think he will be more than a goal line back in a year or two, maybe sooner.

The human monster truck.

Who does he remind the thread of as a comp. IMO, he is a little like a smaller, not as fast (but still pretty big and fast for his size) Christian Okoye, who reportedly won the Nigerian national 100 m. and shot put. If accurate, that may have been unprecedented (that would be like Usain Bolt winning the Jamaican shot put, or SF Pro Bowl NT and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Carter winning the US 100 title).
if he can stay on the field, no wiggll, going to set himself up for a lot of heavy collisions.
 
True to form.

I think he will be more than a goal line back in a year or two, maybe sooner.

The human monster truck.

Who does he remind the thread of as a comp. IMO, he is a little like a smaller, not as fast (but still pretty big and fast for his size) Christian Okoye, who reportedly won the Nigerian national 100 m. and shot put. If accurate, that may have been unprecedented (that would be like Usain Bolt winning the Jamaican shot put, or SF Pro Bowl NT and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Carter winning the US 100 title).
if he can stay on the field, no wiggll, going to set himself up for a lot of heavy collisions.
Short shelf life....but huge 2-3 year potential as a goal line vulture and solid hard nosed RB.

Lacy is in the same boat though.....3-4 year shelf life the way he runs as well. Bruisers rarely last.

 
Rotoworld:

Rookie Andre Williams rushed seven times for 48 yards and a touchdown in Sunday night's Hall of Fame game against the Bills.
As has been the case since camp opened, Williams operated as the Giants' goal-line back with the first-team offense, plunging in from three yards out. It's important to note that Williams did most of his damage against the Bills' second-team defense, but he showed a lot more burst and power than starter Rashad Jennings, who managed 23 yards on seven carries. Although Williams will always be limited from a passing-game standpoint -- he truly can't catch -- it's abundantly clear that he is the Giants' best pure runner. Williams' Average Draft Position is currently undrafted, and that needs to change. He's going to earn a spot in a committee with Jennings and could score 6-8 TDs.
 
he looked ok against the 2nd string D. that offense looked very uncomfortable against the 1s though.
Great post! The offense was getting nothing on the ground until the Bills' second string front 7 came into the game.
Oh come on. It might be the first pre-season game and all that (I don't put a ton of stock in pre-season but I do like to evaluate rookies and offensive trends). But Williams is a load and has plenty of upside in the NFL. Looks like he will get plenty of opportunity in NY. Plus Jennings is long in the tooth and prone to getting nicked up. Williams was able to be had late 2nd early to mid third in all my rookie drafts. And he looked far more quicker and stronger then Hillis. Peyton looked done and I only needed to see 2 carries to know that, Williams looks shiny and new and ready to contribute.

He will be one of the more productive rookie RB's this year.

 
Jennings looked pretty average. Some nice catches, but he's not a special athlete.

I think Williams is the best runner on this roster. Probably even if Wilson is back. Nice value in dynasty and could even be useful in redraft.

 
I keep hearing guys talk about wiggle, but not many 230 pound guys have a lot of wiggle. Williams isn't Barry Sanders, but he isn't a straight up runner, either. He's got a unique ability to slide off tackles to go along with his brute strength and surprising speed/quickness. Williams also has superb vision.

I believe he could overtake Jennings sometime this season. If not, certainly by the start of next season. Williams landed in an ideal situation and is going to be a top FF RB.

 

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