Falcons perspective on Philadelphia’s offseason wide receiver/return specialist addition.
Who is Avery Williams and how does he fit with the Philadelphia Eagles?
Let’s learn more about this free agent addition by getting an Atlanta Falcons perspective on him. Here’s what Dave Choate of The Falcoholic had to say about Williams through answers to my questions.
1 – Can you recap his time with the Falcons?
Avery Williams had quite the career with Atlanta. He started out as a returner and cornerback, appearing in 15 games and making one start in his rookie season and piling up a couple of fumble recoveries, a pass deflection, and three quarterback hits. The team then switched him to running back, and in 2022 he had 22 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, as well as a career-best and league-best 16.2 yards per punt return.
Unfortunately, a torn ACL in June 2023 cost him the entire season, and Williams didn’t look quite as explosive as a returner in 2024. He still averaged a solid 9.3 yards per punt and 27.2 yards per kick, but he had no touches on offense last season. The Falcons looked at his declining role and production as a punt returner and apparently didn’t view him as a priority re-signing.
2 – What role do you think best suits Williams moving forward? Returner only? Some gadget player usage? Moving him back to defense?
I think some gadget usage is worth exploring for Williams, though his bread and butter is return work and special teams, punts in particular. I’m optimistic he’ll be in a better spot two full years removed from his ACL injury, and prior to that he was a slippery runner (https://www.atlantafalcons.com/video/avery-williams-slips-through-bucs-d-on-way-to-8-yard-td) with good balance and vision in the rare instances where the Falcons gave him the ball. I pushed for the team to use him more frequently on screens than they ultimately ever did, and perhaps he could partially fill the niche vacated by Kenneth Gainwell. The Falcons did give him a little work with the wide receiver group in the spring of 2023 before he suffered his injury.
That said, his primary value is still going to be on special teams. If he’s permanently lost some of the explosiveness that made him such a threat in 2022, Williams is still a savvy option as a returner and should be an asset for the Eagles there.
3 – What are his strengths?
His strengths are definitely his vision and elusiveness. Moving Williams to running back in the pros was a natural move because he can be absolutely deadly in the open field, as he excels at evading would-be tacklers and finding the creases opened up by blocking. If you can create avenues for Williams, he can take full advantage of them and leave defenders in the dirt. He’s also an extremely willing and capable special teamer all the way around, as he was tied for the team lead in tackles last season and drew frequent praise from special teams coordinator Marquice Williams for his decision-making (https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-free-agency-avery-williams-philadelphia-eagles-01jpaz4kpbaf).
4 – What are his weaknesses?
The ACL injury appeared to sap some of the raw speed and explosiveness that made Williams incredibly dangerous during that 2022 season where he led the league in punt return average. Last year, Williams seemed a tick slower getting into gear and not quite as good at changing direction on a dime, two things that conspired to make him a less effective returner overall. It’s possible that’s just a byproduct of being only a year removed from a really significant recovery, in which case he’s likely to be a bargain for the Eagles.
5 – Anything to know about him off the field?
The only thing I’ll note, again, is that special teams coordinator Marquice Williams spoke highly of him as a player and person throughout his time in Atlanta, and that carries weight because Marquice is a terrific coach. I hope Avery Williams fares well for you guys!
BLG’s take: Speaking at the NFL owners meetings, Nick Sirianni seemed excited about Williams’ outlook. It’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles utilize him on offense, if at all. At the very least, the Eagles will be hoping that Williams can replace Britain Covey as their punt returner. He could be their primary kick returner as well. Williams didn’t participate in the Eagles’ media-attended spring practices due to injury. He needs to get healthy so that he can prove he belongs on the roster.
