A year ago, a first-round receiver "bust" on the Jaguars that wasn't expected to make the roster rode a fantastic preseason to a starting job and a career year.
Now Troy Williamson is trying to follow the same path as Matt Jones, minus the career-crushing off the field problems that derailed Jones.
Williamson has three catches for 147 yards Saturday night against the Bucs, including a 74-yard score on Jacksonville's first play from scrimmage. Williamson hauled in a 61-yard catch later in the game and also led the Jaguars with four catches for 74 yards last week.
Expected to be at the end of the Jacksonville receiver rotation, if not off the roster, Williamson may instead earn a starting job opposite Torry Holt. Oft-injured fantasy sleeper Mike Walker was expected to get the job, but has been hurt.
Four years after contributing to Mike Tice's demise in Minnesota, Williamson could get a chance to help Tice and his buddy Jack Del Rio keep their jobs in Jacksonville.
Troy Williamson on road to redemption?
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on August 22, 2009 9:51 PM ET
Good for him. Troy's a good kid and he's taken a lot of heat for his drops...and to a degree, rightly so.
To a degree.
Hopefully a meaningless preseason performance has a meaningful boost to his confidence.
And how about some respect for Garrard? All he does is make plays with WR4's.
Career year? He had 5 catches for 30 yards for the whole season. He only played 8 games. That is pretty good for him, I guess.
Never mind. You were talking about Matt Jones. I should have read more carefully. Sorry.
I'm confused, you said Williamson had a "career year" following a good preseason... correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he have five receptions last season?
He is a bust, lets not pretend he isn't. All the proof you'll ever need:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WZNyYouzuk
He's a good kid. Much like Tarvaris Jackson is a good kid. Hell, I have Williamson's jersey. But no matter how good a kid he is, he does not have the ability to compete at a high level, and certainly not a first round pick level.
Remember when he challenged Chilly to a fight on the 50yrd line at the Viking vs. Jaguar game.
Ah doh, obviously I missed that as well.
Still, what I said stands. Unfortunately, as a Vikings fan, I heard every off-season how Williamson was looking spectacular, and that this was his season; he'd be working on his own time, with a personal coach, and he was catching everything that was thrown within 5 yards of him.
The season comes along, and the above video is what happens. Every year, every game, a ball is thrown on him and he does exactly that.
Man, what a huge disappointment.
@Tabemaju: Read closer. The "career year" he's talking about wasn't referring to Williamson.
HAHA... or not
Maybe it's the Vikings coaches who screws up the players
Unlike Minnesota, Jacksonville only has a 6th-round pick invested in him. So if he contributes anything, that's a success for the Jaguars. Certainly his performance last night was noteworthy. But at this point, you have to take EVERYBODY's performances with a grain of salt.
Don't underestimate the preseason. Many of fantasy studs broke out in the preseason.
When the games count, he'll be dropping those passes just like he did in Minnesota.
Williamson has been one of the stars of minicamp and the preseason for Jax. Not bad for a 6th round pick (trade with Vikes).
Last year, the Jags didn't have any receivers getting open except for Northcutt. This year, I see both Holt and Williamson getting open and the rebuilt O-Line will give Garrard time to throw. The passing game should be better this year.