Oh Roy, Where Art Thou?

When drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Roy Williams was one of the hottest young prospects in football.  Williams was perhaps one of the better receiver prospects to come out of the college ranks in the 21st century, combining incredible leaping ability with soft hands and blazing speed.

After four years in the league and four years in Mike Martz's pass-happy system, you would think Williams' stats would leap off the page at you.  That hasn't exactly been the case.

Williams' numbers over his four year career:

Year	Team	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	Yds/G	Lng	TD	20+	40+	1st	FUM
2007	Detroit Lions	12	64	838	13.1	69.8	91T	5	11	4	34	2

2006

Detroit Lions

16

82

1,310

16.0

81.9

60T

7

24

3

66

2

2005

Detroit Lions

13

45

687

15.3

52.8

51T

8

12

4

31

0

2004

Detroit Lions

14

54

817

15.1

58.4

46

8

15

2

34

1

TOTAL

55

245

3,652

14.9

66.4

91

28

62

13

165

5

Though his numbers are far from mediocre, one would expect that in an offense that was so pass oriented, he'd have incredible numbers.

His lack of yardage and scores can be attributed to a few factors:

The Lions, until the acquisition of Calvin Johnson in 2006, had failed to gather enough talent on the roster to keep opposing defenses from zeroing in on Williams.  He often faced double and triple coverages without having anyone else to relieve the pressure.

The Lions had drafted receivers Charles Rogers and Mike Williams before and after Roy Williams in hopes of putting together one of the NFL's most dangerous receiving corps.

Unfortunately, Rogers and Williams (Mike) were two of the biggest disappointments in the NFL and Detroit was left with one, single play maker surrounded by inexperience.

The quarterback situation in Detroit is less than stellar.  While Jon Kitna has been solid, he is not the prototypical NFL QB that is seemingly needed to run an offenses like Martz's.  

His touchdown/interception ratio is nothing to write home about and he has been known to make poor decisions.  Obviously this has hurt the Lions' receivers, Williams in particular. 

Injuries have also hampered Williams during his young career.

Date		Injury
Dec 19, 2007		Right knee
Dec 14, 2007		Knee
Dec 07, 2007		Knee
Dec 02, 2007		Sprained right knee
Aug 19, 2007		Hamstring
Oct 11, 2006		Back
Oct 10, 2006		Shoulder/neck
Nov 09, 2005		Quadricep
Nov 02, 2005		Quadricep
Oct 28, 2005		Quadricep
Oct 19, 2005		Quadricep
Oct 12, 2005		Quadricep
Nov 03, 2004		Ankle
Oct 27, 2004		Ankle
Oct 20, 2004		Ankle
Oct 13, 2004		Knee

Williams' only full season with the Lions was in 2006, in which he played all 16 regular season games, hauling in 82 balls for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns.  He earned a Pro Bowl bid that year as well.

Mike Martz's offensive scheme called for not only passing on almost every down, but also for the quarterback to spread the ball around and utilize all receiving options, including the tight ends and running backs.  This clearly hurt Williams' numbers, especially after the arrival of Johnson and Mike Furrey.

Coaches are hoping that Johnson, at 6"5, will become the red-zone target they've needed for a long time.  This doesn't bode well for the former Longhorn standout.  

Martz is now gone and the offense will become more balanced, meaning Williams could see less balls.  With Johnson and Furrey getting a lot of looks, Williams' role will be decreased.  

Roy Williams is one of the game's best young talents, despite the injuries and dip in numbers, but he must act now if he wants to save his career. The situation he is in at the moment has clearly made him a forgotten man of sorts.

If Williams was with a team like Dallas, which has a superb QB in Tony Romo and a proven play maker in T.O., it is almost certain that he would thrive.  

T.O. would draw a majority of the coverages because of the "fear factor" he creates, leaving Roy Williams wide open.  Tony Romo has the skills necessary to get the ball to Williams on a consistent basis.

Roy Williams is a freak athlete who has yet to tap in to his full potential.  With the arrival of Jim Colleto as the new offensive coordinator, it could very well mean that Williams will get another shot at being the Pro Bowler he is very capable of being.  If not, Williams must look for a way out of Detroit, either by trade or release.

*Stats provided by NFL.com