Josh Williams, an undrafted free agent out of LSU, made his presence felt against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason finale. Performances during the preseason can make-or-break a chance at the 53-man roster and the practice squad. For NFL hopeful, Williams, he made a strong case. He impressed at the right moment and garnered praise from Head Coach Todd Bowles.
"It wasn't just special teams," said Bowles. "He's a good running back as well. We think he can catch. We think he's a heck of a pass protector. We know he can run the ball as he showed us on special teams, but he also made some tackles. So, you know, a lot of that goes into the evaluation. He can do multiple things."
The Bucs' return game became the highlight of the club's showdown with the Bills. Tampa Bay averaged 38.0 yards on five kickoff returns and 13.5 yards on two. Williams posted returns of both 39 and 42 yards, which provided the Bucs' offense with positive field position and a momentum swing. He showcased his prowess in the open field as a return man and his explosiveness and instincts as a runner. Throughout the offseason workout program, coaches and scouts raved about Williams and on Saturday, he put on a show.
"Just a blessing from God," said Williams. "I want to thank God for my returns and my opportunities out there on the field. It is my first time returning the ball like that in the NFL…I was just out there playing fast, free and physical. I wanted to show the world what I could do. I am a firm believer in you practice how you play and play how you practice, so I mean this week during practice, they gave us a lot more reps on offense and I just really focused on hitting the hole as fast as I could and being physical so I think it carried over."
His performance raised his stock for a potential roster spot after a training camp injury derailed his promising output on the grass. Williams showed his versatility on offense and special teams, bolstering his debut against the Bills.
