With most of the big-name players already finding new homes, Mike Williams is one of the best receivers left on the free agent market. The former top-10 pick suffered a season-ending ACL injury early in the 2022 season, sidelining him for most of the year. Williams is back to full strength now, but he carried a staggering $32.5 million cap hit, which the cash-desperate Chargers simply couldn’t afford to pay. By releasing him, the team saved $20 million in much-needed cap space while setting the receiver up to receive a pay raise.
Some reports indicate that the Chargers are trying to re-sign Mike Williams as a free agent at a discounted rate. While this could happen, they’ll need to outbid at least two other teams for his services. According to reports across the league, the wide receiver is already set to visit the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets early next week.
Mike Williams will be visiting with the #Jets on Monday before he meets with the #Panthers on Tuesday. https://t.co/bRPbXGO2GG
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) March 16, 2024
Panthers, Jets To Bring In Mike Williams For Free Agent Visit
The Carolina Panthers and New York Jets both make perfect sense as free agent landing spots for Mike Williams. The Jets have a great young receiver in Garrett Wilson, but not much else. With Allen Lazard on the trade block, it appears as though the Jets aren’t banking on the former Packer improving with Aaron Rodgers under center. You don’t start a 40-year-old quarterback if you don’t think you can win a Super Bowl, and this team will need another reliable option to stand out in a crowded AFC. While they fixed the offensive line, Williams could be the final piece in this championship puzzle.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are not going to win the Super Bowl, but they could still use Mike Williams as a free agent. Without the resources to get a true star wide receiver, the team has done the next best thing and brought in a couple of good-but-not-great players. The team has already traded for Diontae Johnson, and adding Williams to the mix with Adam Thielen will give Carolina three reliable receivers. While they’re not the 2007 Patriots, this grouping will give Bryce Young enough talent to succeed.
Of course, there is always a chance that a dark horse shows up in the Mike Williams free agent sweepstakes. While mystery teams are usually nothing more than just leverage tools agents use to increase a teams’ offer, sometimes they are legit. Just look back to Calvin Ridley – for days, everyone thought he was choosing between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, but he ended up signing with the Tennessee Titans.
Possible Mystery Teams
New England Patriots
The 2023 Carolina Panthers did not surround their first-round pick with the proper talent, and they ended up with the worst record in football. If the Patriots want to avoid that fate, they’ll need to go after a free agent like Mike Williams. Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas are solid role players, but they shouldn’t be the top option in a passing attack. With over $57.8 million in cap space, there is no excuse for this roster to have such a lackluster group of offensive weapons.
New Orleans Saints
Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Saints somehow found a way to create $16.69 million in cap space. With Dennis Allen on the hot seat and the rest of the division improving dramatically, New Orleans needs to add a free agent like Mike Williams to help them keep pace with the Falcons and Buccaneers. Derek Carr can succeed in the right environment, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to surround him with as much talent as possible.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals were decently competitive last year once Kyler Murray returned to the field. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case in 2024 if they don’t find replacements for Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore. Michael Wilson showed some promise last year, but this team could use a veteran free agent like Mike Williams to eat up some targets in the event he can’t make the second-year leap.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are probably going to lose Odell Beckham in free agency, so they might as well upgrade their WR2 position. Mike Williams and Beckham have dramatically different play styles, but the free agent can be a much-needed perimeter threat and contested-catch specialist for this offense.
Main Photo: Denny Simmons – USA Today Sports
