DeAngelo Williams paying dividends for Steelers
By Tim Weaver
The decision by Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert to sign free agent running back DeAngelo Williams this past offseason may go down as one of the shrewdest moves of the year.
To begin with, the Steelers got a starter-quality running back as their number two. For nine seasons Williams carried the load for the Carolina Panthers and for a while he was a star in his own right. In the 2008 season Williams ran for over 1500 yards and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground.
Pittburgh got the former first-round pick for two years and four million dollars, with only $1.13 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.com.
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With their featured back Le’Veon Bell suspended for the first two games of the season, the Steelers needed Williams to hit the ground running and he answered the bell. Weeks 1 and 2 Williams ran for over 200 yards and scored three touchdowns.
What was most remarkable about Williams’ hot start was the speed and elusiveness that he put on display, which is rare for a running back with his mileage.
Now we have a better idea how he was able to get it done.
According to a Twitter report by Ed Werder at ESPN, Williams dropped 15 pounds this year at the request of head coach Mike Tomlin:
#Steelers DeAngelo Williams dropped 15lbs at request of Mike Tomlin. Todd Haley shared that Curtis Martin cut 2-3 lbs annually to stay quick
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 4, 2015
The result is a sleaker, quicker Williams than we have seen play in several years.
On Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals Bell was lost for the season thanks to an MCL injury and Williams stepped in to take his place. Even though Pittsburgh eventually lost the game Williams put on a show: a 55 yard run helped bring his game average to an incredible 7.9 yards per carry. He also added another 39 yards on four passes.
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The 2015 season is now one half over, if you can believe it.
There’s still a lot of football left, but if Williams continues to play at this level then that contract he signed back in March may be the best return-on-investment at the position in the NFL.