I'll admit I wasn't buying into the Ricky hype when it was first announced he'd be reinstated from suspension. At first glance, there were too many factors working against him:
1> Williams hasn't played in the NFL in the last 18 months and wasn't overly impressive as an Argonaut before breaking his arm. Rarely do players coming off extended layoffs approach their old levels of effectiveness. It's why once you're out of the league, it can be so difficult to get back in.
2> Jesse Chatman had been going strong since taking over for Ronnie Brown, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on the season and topping 70 rushing yards in four straight weeks. He'd be hard to take off the field in favor of a guy Dolphins coach Cam Cameron had expressed anything but longing for.
3> Ricky is new to the team. He hasn't played for Cameron. Incumbent backups Patrick Cobbs and Lorenzo Booker both have ability, and even then-fourth stringer Samkon Gado has flashed in limited opportunities. Williams had a five-man depth chart to climb eleven weeks into the season.
But Ricky easily soared past all that depth to take first-team handoffs while Chatman was extremely limited in practice this week. With Chatman questionable and making no obvious progress from his ankle sprain, Williams has the inside track to start on Monday Night Football.
And after further review, there is plenty working in his favor:
1> Ricky does know Cameron's offense. A Norv Turner disciple, Cameron runs basically the same scheme with the same terminology. Turner was the Dolphins' offensive coordinator from 2002-2003, when Williams totaled 3,225 rushing yards and scored 27 touchdowns. So it should be no surprise that he's caught on quickly.
2> The Dolphins have a rookie quarterback they don't want throwing the ball 50 times a game. With an offensive line that's turned a corner under the tutelage of future Hall of Fame coach Hudson Houck, the Dolphins' power running game is hitting on all cylinders.
3> Miami not only has a porous defense its offense has to keep up with on a weekly basis, it also has one it'd prefer to not have on the field for long stretches. There's no better way to combat that than by having long possessions and shoving the ball down opponents' throats.
4> This is a business, and Cameron's Dolphins are 0 for their last 11. Chatman is a free agent at season's end and Brown will be coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Williams remains under contract through 2008. If the 'Fins aren't showcasing Ricky for an offseason trade, it's because they want to make sure he's an option next year if Brown isn't ready and Chatman thinks he'll get a chance to compete to start elsewhere. Ricky is going to play.
Say what you want about Williams, but he's got the smarts and talent to be a contributor. He's an oddity in the NFL, but he's also more gifted than most of the players in it. Williams probably isn't going to get more than 15-20 touches in his first game back, and the odds are against him being a worthwhile fantasy play in such a difficult matchup, whether or not Chatman is inactive. But the opportunity is there for him to be at least a carry sharer down the stretch. You're certainly not going to find a talent like Ricky Williams on a fantasy waiver wire at this time of the year very often. Pick him up for depth, watch him against the Steelers, and see what happens. In this situation, the Dolphins, Williams, and fantasy owners alike have everything to gain.
I wouldn't expect much this week.RW does his best work after 20 carries.
