Tyrell Williams as a possible WR FA for Colts?

[JPFolks]

Tyrell Williams has always been an under utilized asset for the Chargers ridiculously deep WR corps.  Travis Benjamin is another example.  I think Tyrell is the better receiver of the two because of his measurable's *6'3"!!!!! 40 inch vertical, 4.4 40 etc..  He's averaged app. (I rounded) 60 catches, 800 yards and a strong 16.3 yds per catch average.  His roughly 6 TD's per year is one in 10 catches.   He only had one truly fully utilized season where he broke 1000 yards, had almost 70 catches and 7 TDs as the #3 option.  I think his price will be super low, the risk will be super low but his upside could be enormous.  He was only used 3 years really with his only rookie year catch an 80 yard TD, so not a bad first catch.  The eye test always told me "this guy is under utilized" but your mileage may vary.  He's 26 and I think combined with Luck he could be a breakout stud on a super affordable prove it contract.  I might even sign him as a two year 

 

I am looking for non obvious signees we could kick the tires on.   DE Preston Smith and WR Tyrell Williams are two of the top on my list.  

 

Your thoughts? 

[BleedBlu8792]

6 minutes ago, JPFolks said:

Tyrell Williams has always been an under utilized asset for the Chargers ridiculously deep WR corps.  Travis Benjamin is another example.  I think Tyrell is the better receiver of the two because of his measurable's *6'3"!!!!! 40 inch vertical, 4.4 40 etc..  He's averaged app. (I rounded) 60 catches, 800 yards and a strong 16.3 yds per catch average.  His roughly 6 TD's per year is one in 10 catches.   He only had one truly fully utilized season where he broke 1000 yards, had almost 70 catches and 7 TDs as the #3 option.  I think his price will be super low, the risk will be super low but his upside could be enormous.  He was only used 3 years really with his only rookie year catch an 80 yard TD, so not a bad first catch.  The eye test always told me "this guy is under utilized" but your mileage may vary.  He's 26 and I think combined with Luck he could be a breakout stud on a super affordable prove it contract.  I might even sign him as a two year 

 

I am looking for non obvious signees we could kick the tires on.   DE Preston Smith and WR Tyrell Williams are two of the top on my list.  

 

Your thoughts? 

Tyrell has been brought up quite a few times on here the past month. He's one, I'd have to assume, is going to be high on the Colts list of FA targets.

[JPFolks]

My apologies to anyone who previously brought him up.  I didn't see it but defer to whoever beat me to it.  I have always liked him and wondered why they didn't use him more (as well as Benjamin) more than they did.  

 

Thanks for the update.  

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

I think Ballard and Co are gonna be aggressive with what little there is in FA, and go primarily defense in the draft, judging by Ballard's statements. I'd love to add Tyrell or Golden Tate if the price is right, heck maybe both. I think the Colts brass values the in-house WRs much more than the fanbase tho, so wouldn't be at all surprised to see them make a single addition, maybe two this offseason. Ballard seems to primarily worried about the defensive side of the ball, and he should be. 

[Hoose]

Tyrell Williams won't be cheap. He's going to be one of the few truly talented WRs in free agency. And he fits what the Colts need: hands; height; speed. Will Ballard pay for that guy? Because I agree that he could make a big time difference for the Colts. It may be a 3 year, $30 million dollar type of contract to get him. No prove it deals for this guy. The Colts have the money; I hope they collar this player. They need him. 

[TheMiz]

I'd rather have Humphries from Tampa Bay. 

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, JPFolks said:

Tyrell Williams has always been an under utilized asset for the Chargers ridiculously deep WR corps.  Travis Benjamin is another example.  I think Tyrell is the better receiver of the two because of his measurable's *6'3"!!!!! 40 inch vertical, 4.4 40 etc..  He's averaged app. (I rounded) 60 catches, 800 yards and a strong 16.3 yds per catch average.  His roughly 6 TD's per year is one in 10 catches.   He only had one truly fully utilized season where he broke 1000 yards, had almost 70 catches and 7 TDs as the #3 option.  I think his price will be super low, the risk will be super low but his upside could be enormous.  He was only used 3 years really with his only rookie year catch an 80 yard TD, so not a bad first catch.  The eye test always told me "this guy is under utilized" but your mileage may vary.  He's 26 and I think combined with Luck he could be a breakout stud on a super affordable prove it contract.  I might even sign him as a two year 

 

I am looking for non obvious signees we could kick the tires on.   DE Preston Smith and WR Tyrell Williams are two of the top on my list.  

 

Your thoughts? 

 

His price is NOT going to be low.   Sorry,  but he's NOT in the non-obvious catagory that you talk about.     Either ESPN or NFL.com just had him listed as the 20th best free agent in the upcoming class.

 

He may not be a household name to fans,  but the NFL scouts and GM's know about him.

 

And so do the Colts.    We make a ton of sense for him.     He played for Reich and Siriani in San Diego.    They know him well.     The Chargers already pay Allen $10Mill-plus and they will with Williams too.   He was a top-10 pick,  so they'll be paying him.     LA can't afford 3 WR's all making $10 MIll and I'm confident that's what Williams will make.    The Chargers will likely have to let him go.    At least,  I hope so.

 

Spotrac projects him for 3 years and 29 Mill.  That's roughly 10 mill per.    I think his floor is 10 Mill for 4 years.    It's a thin FA class for WR's...    so by the law of supply and demand,  his price could go up.     I hope we win the bidding war.

 

Potentially working against Williams?    He's 6'4" and this front office may not want a tall WR?   Maybe they want little quick guys like TYH or Julian Edelman?  Or Humphries from Tampa Bay.    Don't know?    But we will find out in Mid-March.    Williams will get signed the first week of FA.      Personally,   I hope we win this signing war.

 

[shasta519]

Pass. Williams is mostly a deep threat...and is coming off a disappointing season in which he put up most of his production in two games. I don't mind Williams...I am just not giving him a big FA deal...which is probably what it will take in this weak FA market.

 

The Colts already have a size/speed in Cain guy coming off injury. Would rather see if he can fill that type of role while looking to draft a more complete WR early.

 

Plus, it's not like the Colts are heaving it downfield all the time. Colts were near the bottom in both Y/A and Y/C...the LAC were top 5. Part of that was personnel-related...but I don't see the Colts offensive philosophy changing much (which it probably would to get the max value out of Williams).

 

Just my two cents. At WR, I think Inman should be back. If there are any other bargains in FA...bring one in for depth. And then think very hard about double-dipping in what appears to be a very good draft class.

[Clem-Dog]

1 hour ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

His price is NOT going to be low.   Sorry,  but he's NOT in the non-obvious catagory that you talk about.     Either ESPN or NFL.com just had him listed as the 20th best free agent in the upcoming class.

 

He may not be a household name to fans,  but the NFL scouts and GM's know about him.

 

And so do the Colts.    We make a ton of sense for him.     He played for Reich and Siriani in San Diego.    They know him well.     The Chargers already pay Allen $10Mill-plus and they will with Williams too.   He was a top-10 pick,  so they'll be paying him.     LA can't afford 3 WR's all making $10 MIll and I'm confident that's what Williams will make.    The Chargers will likely have to let him go.    At least,  I hope so.

 

 

 

He went undrafted.

[Superman]

15 minutes ago, Clem-Dog said:

 

He went undrafted.

 

He's talking about Mike Williams, #7 pick in the 2017 draft, and more than likely on his way to a big contract within a couple years. Tyrell Williams is expected to be collateral damage.

[Clem-Dog]

2 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

He's talking about Mike Williams, #7 pick in the 2017 draft, and more than likely on his way to a big contract within a couple years. Tyrell Williams is expected to be collateral damage.

 

That makes sense.  Mike Williams is going to be a fantasy beast.

 

As far as free agents I think Robby Anderson has more potential than Tyrell.

[Superman]

2 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Potentially working against Williams?    He's 6'4" and this front office may not want a tall WR?   Maybe they want little quick guys like TYH or Julian Edelman?  Or Humphries from Tampa Bay.    Don't know?    But we will find out in Mid-March.    Williams will get signed the first week of FA.      Personally,   I hope we win this signing war.

 

I'm torn. I think Tyrell Williams is a potential breakout candidate. He's in an offense with a bunch of weapons, but he has shown the ability to produce when the chance comes, and his measurables speak for themselves.

 

But I personally think our offense needs to maximize YAC chances, and I want receivers who can eat up the middle of the field. And if we're going to spend big on a guy, I'd feel better about a guy with more proven production than Williams has. 

 

Humphries is the other guy on my radar. He's one of the league leaders in YAC, and he has more production than Williams. 

 

Listening to Ballard, though, I get the feeling he's not as worried about adding a FA receiver as I am. 

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Clem-Dog said:

 

He went undrafted.

 

So?     He went to a tiny school in Oregon.

 

Tom Brady was picked 199th.     How did he turn out?

 

Do you know what he's done since he got to the NFL?     

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

I'm torn. I think Tyrell Williams is a potential breakout candidate. He's in an offense with a bunch of weapons, but he has shown the ability to produce when the chance comes, and his measurables speak for themselves.

 

But I personally think our offense needs to maximize YAC chances, and I want receivers who can eat up the middle of the field. And if we're going to spend big on a guy, I'd feel better about a guy with more proven production than Williams has. 

 

Humphries is the other guy on my radar. He's one of the league leaders in YAC, and he has more production than Williams. 

 

Listening to Ballard, though, I get the feeling he's not as worried about adding a FA receiver as I am. 

 

I'd be fine if Ballard prefers Humphries to Williams.     I may have a man-crush on TW,  but if Ballard prefers another players,  I'll be good with that.     As long as we address the position....

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

I actually like the idea of signing Williams. He has very high potential, he has speed and he is tall. He has no history of being a bad locker room guy either + he's young. What is not to like? I posted about him last week as one WR that I would love to have. He would be our 2nd best WR if he came here only behind TY, so that alone is an attraction. TY, Williams, Inman, and Ebron = pretty solid.

[Clem-Dog]

38 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

So?     He went to a tiny school in Oregon.

 

Tom Brady was picked 199th.     How did he turn out?

 

Do you know what he's done since he got to the NFL?     

 

Well  at $10m per, as you posted above, I do like Tyrell.  But I wouldn't be on board to exceed that number.

[JPFolks]

5 hours ago, Hoose said:

Tyrell Williams won't be cheap. He's going to be one of the few truly talented WRs in free agency. And he fits what the Colts need: hands; height; speed. Will Ballard pay for that guy? Because I agree that he could make a big time difference for the Colts. It may be a 3 year, $30 million dollar type of contract to get him. No prove it deals for this guy. The Colts have the money; I hope they collar this player. They need him. 

Great comment!  I haven't seen published estimates to sign him, have you or is this your estimate? I certainly think we'd have to offer him a 2 year deal much like Ebron, but wasn't sure about longer as a must, unless they were so sure they WANTED a longer contract.  Ebron only got 2 years, I am sure he would have wanted more and it is too bad we didn't make it 3 years because thanks to the Colts/Luck, he's now worth dramatically more money than he's make now so in another year, he'll walk or get a mega deal.  I guess 2 years is the "mutual risk" amount and since Tyrell didn't exactly light anything up 3 of his 4 years, (why I still don't understand even with their starters in SD, he was super valuable and they barely used him like a scrub level player).  He's better than anyone on our roster short of TY and COMBINED with TY, we could be lighting people up deep.  Then all we need is Golden Tate to take the slot routes and we're golden! We can then hope that Pascal (who I think deserves keeping) or Cain can be our last two.  I am also hoping we keep Inman as it was clear Luck LOVED him over his other non Hilton options once he signed.  Did he ever blow a catch he should have made? (Seems like maybe 1?).  

[JPFolks]

5 hours ago, TheMiz said:

I'd rather have Humphries from Tampa Bay. 

He's a solid option as well, why would you choose him over Williams? More volume? Humphries also had a stacked receiving room and still got balls that for sure.  I wonder sometimes if he was so much MORE familiar to both QB's who each had to spend time with the second team that he became the guy BOTH were comfy with? That is my theory.  What is yours? 

[JPFolks]

5 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

He may not be a household name to fans,  but the NFL scouts and GM's know about him.

 

 

Well I am none of the above and I knew about him well and thought all season "why isn't this guy being featured more?" even with a packed house at WR.  I posted this simply after seeing his name as available. I watch every game by every team all season and tried to remind myself of who might be under utilized guys who will be available.  If all these massive sites all have him ranked in the top 20 FA's at all positions, then I guess I saw the same obvious things they did, it wasn't hard even though he was fairly invisible with SD compared to the others.  I actually wondered at one point if he was still on the team they used him so little.  I checked the rosters to be sure.  

 

It's obvious you guys have discussed all this before.  I just pop'd on to this board when I realized there might be a separate board for FA even for the Colts and so I posted about Preston Smith DE and when I checked those responses, I thought I should see what people think of Tyrell.  I am glad to see so many supporters.  

 

Thanks for all the great info about the Colts connections to him! 

[JPFolks]

4 hours ago, shastamasta said:

The Colts already have a size/speed in Cain guy coming off injury. Would rather see if he can fill that type of role while looking to draft a more complete WR early.

 

Plus, it's not like the Colts are heaving it downfield all the time. Colts were near the bottom in both Y/A and Y/C...the LAC were top 5. 

I am not sure they had anyone deep to throw it to.  Hilton was usually double covered (and still got a lot of deep targets) and they tried to throw it to Ebron deeper than mid level but he rarely could catch the ball.  Tyrell was under utilized and pigeon holed into a one trick pony after his one long catch his rookie year.  I think he'd be fine in shorter patterns, much like they tried (and often failed due to drops) many others including Ebron.  He's got the speed and he's listed at 6'4 but he's really 6'3.  running a 4.4 at that size is no joke but just like TY doesn't have to always go deep, neither does he.  At his size he'd also be great chipping to help with a pass rusher (and we're going to face a brutal onslaught of them this year) without getting himself too knocked off course.  I'd love to see how they'd use that height, especially since we seem to have trouble keeping most tight ends healthy.  

 

Thanks for your feedback, definitely food for thought. 

[ColtsGermany]

What about Beasley? He seemed to be a little bit dissatisfied with his target share in dallas. Isn't he a FA? 

Imo he's a reliable target. 

[JPFolks]

1 hour ago, ColtsGermany said:

What about Beasley? He seemed to be a little bit dissatisfied with his target share in dallas. Isn't he a FA? 

Imo he's a reliable target. 

I agree he has talent, but he'll be 30 in April which is a nonstarter with us having such a young team.  I'd think they'd be looking for guys coming off their first contract primarily in FA.  I think there are some quality WRs that are less covered available they may be interested in.  Beasley would be smart to resign in Dallas though we might see one of the teams in his division sign him just to get him away from Dallas as he's their current safety blanket with Witten being retired.  But I don't think he's a significant target at his age.  Thanks for your thoughts.  

[teganslaw]

I would take Tyrell Williams or Humphries. Williams has the ability to make plays when given the chance, and I like what Humphries has done. 

 

I doubt we'd see Golden Tate; according to a Eagles fan, Tate wants to stay in Philly. I think the team would do all they can to keep him.

 

Preston Smith has potential and can make some great plays, but from what a Redskins fan mentioned, he also tends to disappear for awhile. Very inconsistent. Maybe being with a new team could help him, though. You don't know until you try. 

[ColtsGermany]

3 hours ago, JPFolks said:

I agree he has talent, but he'll be 30 in April which is a nonstarter with us having such a young team.  I'd think they'd be looking for guys coming off their first contract primarily in FA.  I think there are some quality WRs that are less covered available they may be interested in.  Beasley would be smart to resign in Dallas though we might see one of the teams in his division sign him just to get him away from Dallas as he's their current safety blanket with Witten being retired.  But I don't think he's a significant target at his age.  Thanks for your thoughts.  

Sure he wouldn't be a long time solution for us. But we can't fill all the holes on our roster with one draft/fa. And this draft is so deep at def that we could bolster our d-line for the next 4 years. IMO it wouldn't be clever to let such an opportunity go by to load your roster with a big amount of talent on the def. So maybe it makes sense to target an "older" player at a position of need(here: wr) and then invest a 1st or 2nd rnd pick next year or 2021 on that position.

[CozyColt]

I would love to get williams in FA but i have the fear that he is gonna creep up closer to sammy watkins money. I definately think he is going to get more than moncrief.

With him getting possibly 12 million a year and a decent amount of that guaranteed, he might be more expensive than what ballard is willing to give him.

 

If I had to bet, I would put money on Humphries because he fits age-wise into the rest of the team. He should be 3 million cheaper than Williams. He has the good 2nd option/depth-guy  production that ballard has liked in other FA, like autry, and i think to remember that there was some news that the colts were moving their feelers towards before he got 2nd round tendered.

 

 

[Superman]

8 hours ago, JPFolks said:

  I haven't seen published estimates to sign him, have you or is this your estimate?

 

Good estimate here from Spotrac. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/tyrell-williams-17039/market-value/

 

I think the he'll wind up around four years, $40-44m, with $15-20m guaranteed.

[TheMiz]

16 hours ago, JPFolks said:

He's a solid option as well, why would you choose him over Williams? More volume? Humphries also had a stacked receiving room and still got balls that for sure.  I wonder sometimes if he was so much MORE familiar to both QB's who each had to spend time with the second team that he became the guy BOTH were comfy with? That is my theory.  What is yours? 

Good route runner, gets early separation, great hands, age. He's pretty much the prototypical move the chains slot receiver, among the best in the league in RAC. 

Put up pretty good numbers despite being buried on the depth chart.

[NewColtsFan]

17 hours ago, JPFolks said:

Great comment!  I haven't seen published estimates to sign him, have you or is this your estimate? I certainly think we'd have to offer him a 2 year deal much like Ebron, but wasn't sure about longer as a must, unless they were so sure they WANTED a longer contract.  Ebron only got 2 years, I am sure he would have wanted more and it is too bad we didn't make it 3 years because thanks to the Colts/Luck, he's now worth dramatically more money than he's make now so in another year, he'll walk or get a mega deal.  I guess 2 years is the "mutual risk" amount and since Tyrell didn't exactly light anything up 3 of his 4 years, (why I still don't understand even with their starters in SD, he was super valuable and they barely used him like a scrub level player).  He's better than anyone on our roster short of TY and COMBINED with TY, we could be lighting people up deep.  Then all we need is Golden Tate to take the slot routes and we're golden! We can then hope that Pascal (who I think deserves keeping) or Cain can be our last two.  I am also hoping we keep Inman as it was clear Luck LOVED him over his other non Hilton options once he signed.  Did he ever blow a catch he should have made? (Seems like maybe 1?).  

 

Spotrac projects Williams to sign a 3-year, $29 Million dollar deal.    I'm not sure if they've factored in for the weak class of FA WR's or not,  but you don't often see an average of around $10 Mill but only 3 years of length.    I'm NOT saying never,  but it's not common.    I think some teams will view Williams as the #1 WR candidate.     That would work in his favor. 

 

But if we sign Humphries from TB instead or Anderson from the Jets,  I'd be fine with it.   Someone who can step in and produce his first year is important.    Just as important than potentially drafting a WR, which I also hope we do.

 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

We should kick the tires But the main thing is if he fits/disrupts our culture? 

[Superman]

4 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Spotrac projects Williams to sign a 3-year, $29 Million dollar deal.    I'm not sure if they've factored in for the weak class of FA WR's or not,  but you don't often see an average of around $10 Mill but only 3 years of length.    I'm NOT saying never,  but it's not common.    I think some teams will view Williams as the #1 WR candidate.     That would work in his favor. 

 

But if we sign Humphries from TB instead or Anderson from the Jets,  I'd be fine with it.   Someone who can step in and produce his first year is important.    Just as important than potentially drafting a WR, which I also hope we do.

 

 

Spotrac's projections are more data-driven, I'm not sure they account for market conditions and the human factor. As such, they trend conservative.

 

For instance, they project Clowney at $16.6m/year, even though the tag will be over $17m, Von Miller got $19m/year three years ago, Olivier Vernon got $17m three years ago, and Khalil Mack just got $23.5m last year. Craziness, IMO.

[richard pallo]

Telesco just said it may not be realistic for the Chargers to resign Williams.  He wants to be paid like a No.1 receiver.  He's a perfect fit for the Colts but the majority of fans on this board will not want to pay him.  Why?  Because you can always find a cheaper alternative.  Will Ballard pay him?  I think he will.  He values the judgement of Reich and Siranni and he knows he is the type of receiver the Colts need not to mention we have the money to get it done.  Too many dots to connect here for it not to happen.  I think Ballard and Reich will be seeing eye to eye on this signing.  

[chad72]

He is not a game breaking WR that deserves more than $10 mil. a year and that is his ceiling, IMO. I look at him like Paul Richardson, not like Sammy Watkins. Paul Richardson got a 5 yr. $40 mil. contract with the Redskins and with market inflation, that is why I said $10 mil. a year for Tyrell Williams.

[csmopar]

On 1/27/2019 at 11:08 PM, Superman said:

 

 

Listening to Ballard, though, I get the feeling he's not as worried about adding a FA receiver as I am. 

I agree, especially this part.

[Dark Superman]

Williams recently stated he believes he's a #1 WR (Which he clearly isn't on the field) TY Hilton is our #1 and is obviously a better WR over Williams. I like Williams, but if he's not breaking the bank here. No way Ballard hands him a contract that's close or larger than what Hilton is making here.

[AZColt11]

The Colts have the money to get him IF they want to, and IF there is mutual interest on his part.  The question is how bad do they want him?  They are going to have to overpay to get him because he will be coveted.  He's probably the top FA WR, so he is going to be overpaid no matter when he ends up.  Just a matter of who wants to overpay the most.

[dw49]

On 1/28/2019 at 8:23 AM, Superman said:

 

Good estimate here from Spotrac. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/tyrell-williams-17039/market-value/

 

I think the he'll wind up around four years, $40-44m, with $15-20m guaranteed.

 Minimum... But what the heck , let's do it. I'll say he gets 12 per year.

 

[Superman]

39 minutes ago, dw49 said:

 Minimum... But what the heck , let's do it. I'll say he gets 12 per year.

 

 

I can't make my mind up on this one. I think he's my second choice, behind Humphries. And I'm wondering if Williams will actually have the market that everyone is predicting.

[Hoose]

Williams would be my FA choice. But he's not proven his value above a #2 WR. From what I read, that means $9-10 m max avg per year. I suspect that's his value on the market, and its a heckuva lot more than he makes today. If he wants to play for a winner, the Colts have a great shot at getting him. But if its all about how many $ he can earn ( not that I blame him ), then there might be a team that overpays for him. If so, then so  be it. But he seems to be an ideal fit for the Colts. I hope they do everything within the budget to sign him. 

[dw49]

12 hours ago, Superman said:

 

I can't make my mind up on this one. I think he's my second choice, behind Humphries. And I'm wondering if Williams will actually have the market that everyone is predicting.

 

I think if we look at last year's FA WR's , the answer is there is a large probability he gets 10 mill minimum. I like Williams  better. Much higher ceiling ?

[Dark Superman]

I'm not paying him more than $10 million a year.