Karlos Williams to Steelers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their running back depth Wednesday by signing Karlos Williams to their practice squad.

The team announced the move on its official Twitter account.

Williams, 23, looked promising in his rookie season last year with the Buffalo Bills, serving as LeSean McCoy's backup and rushing for 517 yards and accumulating nine total touchdowns. But his offseason went less smoothly, as he was suspended four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy and also came into training camp overweight, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.

Buffalo's general manager, Doug Whaley, maintained that his release was entirely due to the fact that the front office and coaching staff didn't think Williams would make the team, per Rodak:

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I've always said this is a performance-based business. The release of Karlos Williams was strictly performance-based. He came in behind the eight ball and never caught up. And there was other guys on the roster that moved ahead of him.

In light of that, we thought, "Why hold on to him?" Why don't we give him a chance to maybe find another job out there in the league?' We weren't going to hold on to him to the end, knowing he wasn't going to make the team.

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Still, if Williams' weight concerns are handled, there's no doubting his talent. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry last season and combined equal parts strength and speed. He averaged 2.9 yards after contact, one of the higher marks in the NFL last year, according to Jeff Ratcliffe of Pro Football Focus, and has the ability to be a team's feature back.

Pittsburgh will bank on his talent shining through and Williams handling the off-field issues that ultimately cost him his job in Buffalo. He still has the ability to be an excellent running back in the NFL.

The Steelers are stacked at running back currently thanks to the presence of Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams as well as Fitzgerald Toussaint, but it never hurts to have added depth.

Bell has struggled to remain healthy and off the suspended list over the past couple of years, while Williams got injured prior to the start of the playoffs last season. Should a similar scenario arise in 2016, the 23-year-old could find himself on the active roster and in a key role for perhaps the most dynamic offense in football.

There aren't many better situations that Williams could have walked into. The Steelers have an outstanding offensive nucleus built around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown. 

Because opposing defenses have to stop that dynamic passing attack, there are many wide-open holes to run through. Williams showed his unique skill set in just 11 games with the Bills last season and could be a great fit in Pittsburgh if called upon.

There isn't much pressure on him initially since he is only part of the practice squad for now, and it is a low-risk signing for the Steelers.

If he proves that he is back in shape and capable of contributing at some point this season, however, Williams could go down as one of the top in-season steals on the free-agent market.   

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