Bengals' waiver claim signals injury issues may not be over anytime soon at key position
The Cincinnati Bengals are back to 53 players on the active roster as of Friday afternoon.Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams has been claimed by the Bengals a day after the club's 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Williams, a rookie out of Illinois, was signed by the Lions as a college free agent […]
The Cincinnati Bengals are back to 53 players on the active roster as of Friday afternoon.
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams has been claimed by the Bengals a day after the club's 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Williams, a rookie out of Illinois, was signed by the Lions as a college free agent in May. He was a standout during the preseason, leading the team in receptions (11) and receiving yards (123) on his way to making the 53-man roster.
The 5-10, 186-pound slot receiver was inactive for the first seven weeks of the season before getting a shot in Week 8. He recorded his first two receptions for six yards against the Tennessee Titans. In Week 9, Williams returned his first kickoff for 36 yards. Detroit then waived him Thursday.
Williams has more value to the Bengals now than he did a few weeks ago, and unexpected problems arising are why he's now with the Bengals.
Tee Higgins, Charlie Jones injuries clear the way for Isaiah Williams to play
The Bengals have been shorthanded at the receiver position for a few weeks now. Tee Higgins has missed the last three games due to a quad injury, and Charlie Jones has been out for two games with a groin injury. The week that rookie Jermaine Burton was sidelined as a healthy scratch saw Kendric Pryor being elevated off the practice squad just to give the team four receivers for a day.
For a team that utilizes three receivers most of the time, depth has been strikingly thin ever since Higgins and Jones went down. Jones is also the team's kickoff returner, which created another vacancy to be filled.
Williams appears to be an ideal temporary replacement for Jones. He's similar in size, most of his preseason routes came from the slot, and he's already got a kickoff return under his belt.
If Jones misses Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams has a good chance of filling his exact role, and he'll likely be active anyways if both Jones and Higgins are both out.
Because he was claimed off waivers, the Bengals are inheriting the contract Williams originally signed with the Lions. It's just as financially easy to waive him as it was to claim him in the first place. When Higgins and Jones return from their injuries, Williams may no longer be needed on the active roster.
For now, there's a window of opportunity for him.