After the Super Bowl on Sunday, the focus will shift to free agency, and Tyrell Williams looks like he’ll be one of the most intriguing options. He’s good enough that he’ll be a starter somewhere, but it doesn’t seem like the Chargers will be able to re-sign him.
That team already has Keenan Allen, who piles up the catches, and Mike Williams seems to be developing into another No. 1 type wide receiver – a former top-10 pick who led the team with 10 TD catches. They’ve also got Hunter Henry, who might develop into one of the top half-dozen tight ends in the league, and they’ve got a pair of running backs who are really good pass catchers – Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler combined for 89 catches and 7 TDs, averaging over 10 yards per catch.
Unlikely, it seems, they’ve be able to afford to commit big money to Tyrell Williams. He’s posted modest numbers the last two years. He caught 41 passes and 5 TDs in the season that just completed, and he caught only 43 passes and 4 TDs the previous year.
But he’s shown he can play. When Allen missed almost all of the 2016 season, Williams led the team with 69 catches for 1,059 yards and 7 TDs. With his size (6-4, 205) and speed, he’s capable of being a good deep threat. He’s averaged 16.3 yards per catch in his four seasons with the team.
Williams’ production the last two years has slipped primarily because he’s had to take a back seat to other pass catchers on a crowded roster. He would probably fit better on a different team.
In terms of effectiveness, Williams has been just as good the last two years as he was in his 1,000-yard season. Better, in fact. He’s averaged at least 10 yards per attempt in each of the last two years. (That’s yards per attempt – per target – not yards per reception.)
Over the last three years, 57 wide receivers have seen at least 200 passes thrown their way. Of that group, only four have averaged more yards per attempt than Williams.
| WIDE RECEIVERS WITH 200 TARGETS (2016-2018) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Yd/Tgt |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 207 | 143 | 2,117 | 14.8 | 13 | 10.2 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 447 | 284 | 4,530 | 16.0 | 17 | 10.1 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 325 | 223 | 3,255 | 14.6 | 25 | 10.0 |
| Brandin Cooks, 3 tms | 348 | 223 | 3,459 | 15.5 | 20 | 9.9 |
| Tyrell Williams, LAC | 253 | 153 | 2,440 | 15.9 | 16 | 9.6 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 384 | 224 | 3,684 | 16.4 | 16 | 9.6 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 245 | 169 | 2,343 | 13.9 | 14 | 9.6 |
| Adam Thielen, Minn. | 387 | 273 | 3,616 | 13.2 | 18 | 9.3 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 272 | 151 | 2,539 | 16.8 | 18 | 9.3 |
| DeSean Jackson, Wa.-T.B. | 264 | 147 | 2,447 | 16.6 | 11 | 9.3 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 417 | 321 | 3,787 | 11.8 | 23 | 9.1 |
| Robert Woods, Buf.-LAR | 291 | 193 | 2,613 | 13.5 | 12 | 9.0 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 302 | 205 | 2,652 | 12.9 | 12 | 8.8 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 314 | 219 | 2,737 | 12.5 | 20 | 8.7 |
| Rishard Matthews, 3 tms | 204 | 123 | 1,764 | 14.3 | 13 | 8.6 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 447 | 253 | 3,846 | 15.2 | 25 | 8.6 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 320 | 187 | 2,736 | 14.6 | 18 | 8.6 |
| Kenny Stills, Mia. | 250 | 137 | 2,126 | 15.5 | 21 | 8.5 |
| Mike Wallace, Balt. | 208 | 124 | 1,765 | 14.2 | 8 | 8.5 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 485 | 311 | 4,114 | 13.2 | 36 | 8.5 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dal. | 335 | 206 | 2,838 | 13.8 | 19 | 8.5 |
| Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 221 | 152 | 1,856 | 12.2 | 10 | 8.4 |
| Marquise Goodwin, Buf.-S.F. | 216 | 108 | 1,788 | 16.6 | 9 | 8.3 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 334 | 203 | 2,721 | 13.4 | 19 | 8.1 |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 271 | 192 | 2,194 | 11.4 | 13 | 8.1 |
| Jamison Crowder, Wash. | 251 | 162 | 2,024 | 12.5 | 12 | 8.1 |
| Pierre Garcon, Was.-S.F. | 227 | 143 | 1,827 | 12.8 | 4 | 8.0 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 407 | 260 | 3,268 | 12.6 | 35 | 8.0 |
| Alshon Jeffery, Chi.-Phil. | 306 | 174 | 2,453 | 14.1 | 17 | 8.0 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 488 | 289 | 3,904 | 13.5 | 28 | 8.0 |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 286 | 155 | 2,280 | 14.7 | 15 | 8.0 |
| Golden Tate, Det.-Phil. | 368 | 257 | 2,875 | 11.2 | 13 | 7.8 |
| Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 356 | 250 | 2,773 | 11.1 | 20 | 7.8 |
| Marqise Lee, Jac. | 201 | 119 | 1,553 | 13.1 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 296 | 190 | 2,286 | 12.0 | 14 | 7.7 |
| Kelvin Benjamin, 3 tms | 263 | 136 | 2,013 | 14.8 | 11 | 7.7 |
| Adam Humphries, T.B. | 271 | 192 | 2,069 | 10.8 | 8 | 7.6 |
| Willie Snead, N.O.-Balt. | 215 | 142 | 1,638 | 11.5 | 5 | 7.6 |
| Jordy Nelson, G.B.-Oak. | 328 | 213 | 2,478 | 11.6 | 23 | 7.6 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 327 | 197 | 2,455 | 12.5 | 11 | 7.5 |
| DeVante Parker, Mia. | 230 | 137 | 1,723 | 12.6 | 6 | 7.5 |
| Cole Beasley, Dall. | 248 | 176 | 1,819 | 10.3 | 12 | 7.3 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 267 | 172 | 1,956 | 11.4 | 9 | 7.3 |
| Brandon LaFell, Cin.-Oak. | 212 | 128 | 1,545 | 12.1 | 11 | 7.3 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den.-Hou. | 373 | 232 | 2,709 | 11.7 | 15 | 7.3 |
| Terrelle Pryor, 4 tms | 207 | 113 | 1,499 | 13.3 | 7 | 7.2 |
| Dez Bryant, Dall. | 228 | 119 | 1,634 | 13.7 | 14 | 7.2 |
| Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 261 | 162 | 1,869 | 11.5 | 14 | 7.2 |
| Devin Funchess, Car. | 248 | 130 | 1,760 | 13.5 | 16 | 7.1 |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia.-Clev. | 441 | 287 | 3,099 | 10.8 | 17 | 7.0 |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 237 | 164 | 1,646 | 10.0 | 10 | 6.9 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 423 | 285 | 2,913 | 10.2 | 18 | 6.9 |
| John Brown, Ari.-Bal. | 225 | 102 | 1,531 | 15.0 | 10 | 6.8 |
| Allen Robinson, Jac.-Chi. | 246 | 129 | 1,654 | 12.8 | 10 | 6.7 |
| Seth Roberts, Oak. | 206 | 126 | 1,346 | 10.7 | 8 | 6.5 |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak.-Bal. | 346 | 201 | 2,228 | 11.1 | 19 | 6.4 |
| Jermaine Kearse, Sea.-NYJ | 267 | 143 | 1,691 | 11.8 | 7 | 6.3 |
Williams doesn’t sound like he’s going to give the Chargers a home-team discount. "I definitely feel like I'm a No. 1 receiver," Williams said in an article posted on ESPN.. "So I want to make sure that I clean up all of the little things in route running and blocking, to make sure I solidify myself as a No. 1."
I don’t expect Williams to break the bank in free agency. I don’t think he’ll lead a team in receiving next year. But I think he’ll be able to find a team that believes he’ll be an above-average No. 2 wide receiver.
—Ian Allan