3 free agent wide receivers the Redskins should consider signing in 2019
13. . Wide Receiver. Chargers. Tyrell Williams. 2. player
Tyrell Williams is a potential under-the-radar pickup that could really help whatever team he ends up on. Williams was a role-player at receiver in San Diego/Los Angeles where he spent the first four years of his career.
Williams served as the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver for the Chargers and flashed good ability overall. In 2016, Williams had a breakout year posting a 1,000-yard season and a career-high seven touchdowns. Since that time, he hasn’t been consistent, but there have been flashes of true No. 2 ability from the receiver.
Williams’ best trait is his deep speed and size. He has a 6-foot-4 frame, but he also possesses the ability to quickly get downfield, separate from coverage, and break big plays. That’s why he has averaged 16.3 yards per catch during his NFL career. It’s also why he was able to post back-to-back 118-yard receiving games in 2018 despite being just a tertiary target for the Chargers behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
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The one issue with Williams is consistency. He doesn’t always get the targets needed to produce, but he can be a boom-or-bust playmaker in his own right, at times. He has decent jump-ball ability, but with his frame, he could stand to improve a bit at making contested catches. If he can do that, he will emerge as a really good No. 2 receiver. And considering that he’s turning 27 on Feb. 12, there’s still room for him to grow.
With Washington, Williams would be a great fit as a speed option to work in tandem with Paul Richardson. The former Seahawk struggled with injuries his first year in Washington, and it may be hard for him to stay healthy. If Richardson and Williams split snaps, it may keep both more effective. And who knows, maybe Williams would be even more effective than Richardson, especially if Richardson can’t stay healthy.
The other possibility is that Williams and Richardson could play with Crowder to create a really good deep threat package. That would move Josh Doctson to the bench. If the team ends up with a big-armed quarterback manning the team — an improbable feat, but nonetheless, possible — that would make some level of sense. But regardless, Williams would add talent on the cheap to the receiver position, as he would likely be poised to make $5-$7 million annually. The Allen Hurns contract (two years, $11 million total) seems like a fair comparison for Williams.