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Chad Williams needs to step up for Arizona Cardinals

By Mark A. Hernandez

CANTON, OH - AUGUST 03: Chad Williams CANTON, OH - AUGUST 03: Chad Williams #16 of the Arizona Cardinals makes a 16-yard reception against the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter of the NFL Hall of Fame preseason game at Tom Benson Hall
CANTON, OH - AUGUST 03: Chad Williams CANTON, OH - AUGUST 03: Chad Williams #16 of the Arizona Cardinals makes a 16-yard reception against the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter of the NFL Hall of Fame preseason game at Tom Benson Hall /
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With the off-season departures of John and Jaron Brown, second-year wideout Chad Williams will look to make an impact on a depleted receiving corp for the Arizona Cardinals

Chad Williams’ rookie season probably did not go the way he had envisioned. The 6-foot-1, 204-pounder totaled a whopping 3 catches for 31 yards. He also ran the ball twice for 33 yards.

Rookie woes? Who knows? Williams did not see much playing time under Bruce Arians in his rookie season in Arizona.

Now he has the opportunity to show why he was worth a third-round pick in 2017 out of Grambling State.  With the Cardinals adding the big, former Dallas Cowboy Brice Butler, Williams will have his chance to complement that with his burning speed.

Leading up to the 2017 draft, Williams clocked a 4.37 second 40-yard dash. Something that offensive coordinator Mike McCoy should have some fun with on the outside. His knock, however, was that he wasn’t a great route runner and did not face elite competition at Grambling State.

It is likely that he will start the season as the no. 4 guy, behind incumbent JJ Nelson and free agent pickup, Brice Butler. With OTAs and mini-camp right around the corner, Williams will certainly have enough time to prove me wrong.

The Cardinals — having a new head coach — will get to start their off-season work two weeks early, per NFL rules. Something that can only benefit not only Williams, but the entire team looking to get acclimated to a new regime.

“It’s exciting to be able to lay out our vision and start to put together the foundation of what we want this to be,” head coach Steve Wilks said.

What would be exciting is seeing Williams put his rookie year behind him and come into his own as a professional. Getting at least one more year under the tutelage of Larry Fitzgerald certainly bodes well for him.

Next: Second-tier passer could be answer for the Arizona Cardinals

The silver lining here is that he had an almost non-existent rookie season with Arians. So no “sophomore slump,” just the opportunity for a breakout season.

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