The return of Redskins tackle Mike Williams to the NFL was a story perfectly constructed for a Sunday morning newspaper feature.
The pitch: Former top-five pick returns to the NFL after three seasons off, shedding more than 100 pounds and a “bust” label, all for the love of the game.
There’s only one problem: the guy still can’t cut it at the pro level.
The Washington Post‘s Jason Reid writes, “It has been painful to watch tackle Mike Williams in pass protection since camp opened . . . you don’t need to be a player, scout or coach to know he doesn’t belong on a football field right now in a competitive environment.”
(Taking out PFT Style Book . . .)
Boom. Roasted.
The news isn’t surprising; Williams is playing in a new body after missing so much time.
And while the Redskins haven’t invested money in him yet, they are sorely needing some good news on their paper-thin offensive line.
Line coach Joe Bugel says he’s “concerned” with right guard Randy Thomas, who is struggling to return from knee surgery. (He also had a serious neck injury last year.)
“Randy’s had some problems,” Bugel said.
He’s not the only one. The Redskins aging line has suffered an assortment of injuries, and struggled throughout camp.
If the Redskins are to live up to Mr. Florio’s optimistic prediction for them, they are going to need to solve some problems up front.
Mike Williams, for one, doesn’t look like the answer.