The bad offseason for the Bills continued in earnest on Saturday when the team announced the release of running back Karlos Williams.
Williams, heading into his second year, put together an impressive rookie campaign, filling in for LeSean McCoy at times and really showing a nose for finding the end zone.
The former Florida State standout, drafted in the fifth round in 2015, was already staring down the barrel of a four-game suspension to start the season.
More concerning was his weight: Williams showed up to OTAs and training camp out of shape. He initially blamed the weight gain on his wife being pregnant. This is a legitimate reason for gaining weight, but the amount he gained certainly wasn't reasonable.
According to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Williams ballooned up to 261 pounds this offseason at one point. Williams weighed 230 pounds at the combine before he was drafted and generally played in the range of 225-230 pounds during 2015.
Combine the weight gain with the substance-abuse suspension, and you've got reason to be concerned.
Buffalo clearly wasn't pleased with the situation, although this did come out of left field only hours before the Bills take on the Giants in Week 2 of the preseason.
Rex Ryan wasn't pleased with Williams weight back in June and wasn't thrilled in August, but made it clear he wasn't going to give up on the running back. Something changed.
#Bills' release of Karlos Williams is curious given Rex Ryan's insistence he would not give up on him. Another voice overrule the coach?
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 20, 2016
It's also possible Williams just wasn't worth the headache. The Bills have plenty of names on the depth chart, starting with McCoy. Behind Shady are the newly-acquired Reggie Bush, rookie Jonathan Williams and Mike Gillislee.
If Williams being overweight and playing poorly put him further down the depth chart, maybe the Bills saw him as a likely roster cut anyway.
My understanding of Karlos Williams' cut: Was performance, not discipline. Thanks to his weight, he was behind McCoy, J. Williams, Bush, etc
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2016
This is still a guy who tied for the team lead last year in touchdowns, finding the end zone nine times. He's on a cheap rookie deal at a position where you want productive guys on low-end contracts. So the move is surprising.
But it's not uncommon for the Bills to have a rough day lately. Sammy Watkins finally got healthy, but they've been taking hits, including a suspension to Marcell Dareus, a season-ending injury for rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland and a shoulder injury that could keep Shaq Lawson from playing a decent portion of the season.
Williams showing up out of shape and being released is another blow to a team in a critical season, with plenty of eyes on Rex in 2016.
