There are now dueling reports out there regarding Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Mike Williams and whether or not he needs back surgery. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft may need surgery, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has more recently put it out there that Williams is not expected to need surgery. Both reports are fairly vague, and until something more concrete is out there the situation will be hard to pin down.
Surgery or not, Williams seems likely to be limited by this back issue throughout his rookie season. He was already joining a passing game loaded with options, as Keenan Allen returns from an ACL tear to go along with Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman and Travis Benjamin on the wide receiver depth chart. And let’s not forget tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry, along with running back Melvin Gordon’s emergence as a pass catcher in 2016 (41 receptions).
Allen should come back to a role as a proverbial No. 1 wide receiver for the Chargers, and he has averaged 8.5 targets per game for his career. But he has also missed 23 games over the last two seasons, and his production stands to remain volume-driven.
In Allen’s absence last year, Tyrell Williams became a top target for Philip Rivers and delivered 69 receptions (on 119 targets)Â for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns. Inman also set career highs with 58 catches (0n 97 targets) for 810 yards and four touchdowns, but Benjamin was limited by a knee issue and had just 47 catches for 677 yards in 14 games in the first season of a significant contract.
Mike Williams theoretically fits in as the Chargers’ No. 2 or No. 3 wide receiver, bumping Inman and Benjamin down the pecking order for sure. But questions about his back changes things, and he may at least start training camp on the PUP list. Missing time in camp will hurt Williams’ chances to earn a role and make an impact this year.
Williams is now a fairly risky pick in re-draft leagues, unless he somehow gets a completely clean diagnosis on his back before Week 1. But he remains a solid dynasty commodity, and he shouldn’t be forgotten about in those leagues.
Assuming Williams is at least limited by his back injury, with the lingering prospect of season-altering/ending surgery until further notice, let’s look at how that impacts the other Chargers’ pass catchers on a percentage basis (adding up to 100 percent) for 2017.
Keenan Allen: 5%
Tyrell Williams: 20%
Dontrelle Inman: 40%
Travis Benjamin: 20%
Antonio Gates: 10%
Hunter Henry: 5%
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