Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

NFL Reinstates Ricky Williams

Brando

Hall of Fame
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to reinstate Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams after a suspension that lasted 18 months because of Williams' violation of the league's substance abuse policy, sources told ESPN.
ESPN
 

Silver Oak

All Pro
I guess the Dolphins have his rights still? If he could stay away from the wacky tobaccy, he will be a good pick for someone.
 

kastofsna

Hall of Fame
not sure how effective he'll be at this point. he's getting up there in age and hasn't played in a bit.
 

Errant Hothy

Hypermediocrity
not sure how effective he'll be at this point. he's getting up there in age and hasn't played in a bit.
Yeah, but his age isn't a huge issue cause he hasn't played much. I would think that the bigger issues would be desire and if he is anywhere near game shape.
 

TexanAddict

Texan 'til I Die
I would think it might take most of the remaining season for Ricky to get into the kind of shape he needs to be in to contribute on the field. Running on a treadmill is not the same as stepping onto the field and running hard, taking hits, and getting knocked down, play after play.
 
If Ricky kept himself in shape, then I think he can still help out their running game. His age is definitely a concern, but can also help him since he has not had a lot of phyical contact as compared to others his age.
 

Overalls

All Pro
I can see someone giving him a look at the Vet minimum with a conduct clause attached but other than that I can't see a lot of teams trying to jump on him especially if the Fins have first rights and if any team would owe them to pick him up.
 
M

MarioWrecksIt

Guest
I know this has been discussed before but Ricky will apparently be reinstated and able to play by week 12 (which is when Ahman will have his next knee problem assuming he plays this week) and if the Dolphins decide to cut him what would yall think of him returning to Texas??

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3109760
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
I keep seeing talk about his age but the man has "played" in only 6 seasons and saw what I'd characterize as "heavy use" in only two of them (and I doubt he gets many miles put on him during the remainder of this year).

The guy has never been considered injury prone and he's going to be 31 years old if and when he starts play next season. The only problem with Ricky is the obvious one. He's got issues and is liable to light up and leave you in the lurch.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
I'm all for it and I'd like to see the Texans do something they rarely if ever do. I'd like to see them do something smart for a change.

If I'm making the call in a scenario where I can sign Ricky Williams I do it and then I get in front of a camera and with a perfectly straight face I say that I'm bringing Ricky "Home" to Texas where he can put his life and his career back together. I talk about his great career at UT and I talk about how the Texans are going to give this man a chance. Doesn't everybody deserve a chance to undo a mistake or to correct their course in life? Certainly the Houston Texans are known for bringing in only players of exceptional character (I almost said "high character" but caught myself) but now you're going to see the Texans do more than that. You're going to see the Texans get involved in helping this man while he helps us. In the past the team has made mistakes with personnel from time to time but this isn't one of them. This allows Ricky Williams a chance to bring his career to a close on a high note in the state he began it while giving the Texans a legitimate running back at a reasonable cost while doing a truly good and Christian (Rick Smith pauses to wipe the tear from his eye) act to help a man who needs a hand up.

Then I'd get in my car with a UT cap subtley placed in view on the back dash and drive off.
 

drewmar74

disgruntled
I'm all for it and I'd like to see the Texans do something they rarely if ever do. I'd like to see them do something smart for a change.

If I'm making the call in a scenario where I can sign Ricky Williams I do it and then I get in front of a camera and with a perfectly straight face I say that I'm bringing Ricky "Home" to Texas where he can put his life and his career back together. I talk about his great career at UT and I talk about how the Texans are going to give this man a chance. Doesn't everybody deserve a chance to undo a mistake or to correct their course in life? Certainly the Houston Texans are known for bringing in only players of exceptional character (I almost said "high character" but caught myself) but now you're going to see the Texans do more than that. You're going to see the Texans get involved in helping this man while he helps us. In the past the team has made mistakes with personnel from time to time but this isn't one of them. This allows Ricky Williams a chance to bring his career to a close on a high note in the state he began it while giving the Texans a legitimate running back at a reasonable cost while doing a truly good and Christian (Rick Smith pauses to wipe the tear from his eye) act to help a man who needs a hand up.

Then I'd get in my car with a UT cap subtley placed in view on the back dash and drive off.
*stands and applauds*
 

Buffi2

Veteran
I'm all for it and I'd like to see the Texans do something they rarely if ever do. I'd like to see them do something smart for a change.

If I'm making the call in a scenario where I can sign Ricky Williams I do it and then I get in front of a camera and with a perfectly straight face I say that I'm bringing Ricky "Home" to Texas where he can put his life and his career back together. I talk about his great career at UT and I talk about how the Texans are going to give this man a chance. Doesn't everybody deserve a chance to undo a mistake or to correct their course in life? Certainly the Houston Texans are known for bringing in only players of exceptional character (I almost said "high character" but caught myself) but now you're going to see the Texans do more than that. You're going to see the Texans get involved in helping this man while he helps us. In the past the team has made mistakes with personnel from time to time but this isn't one of them. This allows Ricky Williams a chance to bring his career to a close on a high note in the state he began it while giving the Texans a legitimate running back at a reasonable cost while doing a truly good and Christian (Rick Smith pauses to wipe the tear from his eye) act to help a man who needs a hand up.

Then I'd get in my car with a UT cap subtley placed in view on the back dash and drive off.
A made for TV announcement - I can just see McClain now. I'm with you - I think, if he is in any kind of shape at all - we take him. Goodness knows it would help.
 
I wouldn't take a chance on him.

I read that he only played in the CFL because he was practically broke. He didn't exactly 'light it up' over there.

It would be great for him to prove the doubters wrong but IMO he's only going to be going through the motions as a RB to get a pay check.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
I'm all for it and I'd like to see the Texans do something they rarely if ever do. I'd like to see them do something smart for a change.

If I'm making the call in a scenario where I can sign Ricky Williams I do it and then I get in front of a camera and with a perfectly straight face I say that I'm bringing Ricky "Home" to Texas where he can put his life and his career back together. I talk about his great career at UT and I talk about how the Texans are going to give this man a chance. Doesn't everybody deserve a chance to undo a mistake or to correct their course in life? Certainly the Houston Texans are known for bringing in only players of exceptional character (I almost said "high character" but caught myself) but now you're going to see the Texans do more than that. You're going to see the Texans get involved in helping this man while he helps us. In the past the team has made mistakes with personnel from time to time but this isn't one of them. This allows Ricky Williams a chance to bring his career to a close on a high note in the state he began it while giving the Texans a legitimate running back at a reasonable cost while doing a truly good and Christian (Rick Smith pauses to wipe the tear from his eye) act to help a man who needs a hand up.

Then I'd get in my car with a UT cap subtley placed in view on the back dash and drive off.
I love you, man. -------------but you ain't getting my Bud Lite.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
It would be great for him to prove the doubters wrong but IMO he's only going to be going through the motions as a RB to get a pay check.

I bet Ricky Williams "just goes through the motions as a RB to get a pay check" faster than Ron Dayne does out of love of the game.

Just pointing that out.
 
Right now I think the Texans need to get creative with that run offense cause it's year 2 and nothing's working, and the offseason has to go to defensive secondary and the line...so I'm changing my stance based on where the Texans are how poorly Ahman is playing (I thought he'd show up for at least the first five or six games). I won't say Ricky'd make a difference - hell, the Dolphins have to want to get rid of him in the first place - but I think Ricky owes so much money he'd be motivated. And the Texans need to take a risk. Sign him for the league minimum and go with it.
 

PapaL

Loose Screw
Speaking of Ricky being in shape and well Ron Dayne - Ricky couldn't possibly be in worse shape than Dayne. Not like that production would be hard to replicate either.

Bring him home.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
See I just think that if the man hits the streets and you have a chance to pick him up for a reasonable number then you do that. This isn't a murderer or a wife beater. This is a guy with issues who likes to escape from them through getting high. That's a problem and I'd in no way be willing to go into a season with Ricky Williams and nobody to carry the rock. Too much risk. I might go into the season with Ricky Williams, Ahman Green, and Chris Taylor back there ready to carry the rock however.

All I'm saying is that the Texans "We only take perfect people" approach to stocking a roster is fine in and of itself. It seems a bit lacking in humanity to me though if they are so caught up in signing "saints" that they don't have the time or the inclination to try and help someone while helping themselves. They have questions at RB. Ricky Williams might be a possible answer.
 

GP

Go Texans!
If I were the Dolphins, I'd look at my record and realize that RW is not going to help me on the field near as much as he would help if I traded him to a starving team who thinks they're a good running back away from being a contender.

There are is boat-load of horrible running backs in this league right now. How much better would the Browns be (and they're not bad right now, IMO) if they had a running back? Jamal Lewis is a joke. Ricky Williams would be a great fit on the Browns, IMO.

I'd trade RW for a draft pick. The Dolphins are not going to be better with RW on the field in a Dolphins uniform. They were marginal even with Ronnie Brown churning out a lot of production.

That Dolphins team is a mess. A real mess.

I'd trade him TODAY. Hype him up as a guy who is going to be a difference-maker, a guy who has learned his lesson and wants to play again. And then I'd trade him to a starving team.

The running backs in this league are, for the most part, pitiful.

This has become a PASS FIRST league recently, IMO, and I think it's due to younger high school players realizing that they can avoid a lot of health problems by being a WR rather than a RB who is getting pounded on by DLs and LBs all year long, all career long. What would YOU do? I'd run around and challenge smaller DBs who play 10-yards off me...that's what I'd do if I was looking at playing the NFL for a long time.

It's a business situation, IMO.

Running backs walk around and limp in the locker room like an 80-year-old man most of the time. But most WRs are seen having themselves a grand old time without the majority of injury problems that RBs suffer.

Ricky is a bargaining chip for the Dolphins who need draft picks.
 

PapaL

Loose Screw
Trade deadline has passed. Ricky will either be a FA or a Dolphin for the rest of the season. He will not be traded this year.
 

Specnatz

Hall of Fame
Trade deadline has passed. Ricky will either be a FA or a Dolphin for the rest of the season. He will not be traded this year.
Why do so many people forget that? It seems to be a very hard thing to grasp for a lot of people because it is always brought up.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
Doesn't everybody deserve a chance to undo a mistake or to correct their course in life?
A chance? How many chances does Ricky get? If this was Ricky Jones out of the University of Montana, who would care about his reinstatement?

What really makes me scratch my head regarding the jocking for Ricky is that he hasn't been that great as a pro. Williams did make it to the Pro Bowl once 5 years ago. Other than that, Ricky's been pretty mediocre. It's not as if his presence has helped teams get to the playoffs. Williams has appeared in one playoff game in his career, and gained all of 14 yards.

If you're thinking about the Ricky Williams that won the Heisman at UT, I get it. That guy was great. He rarely surfaced in the NFL. At this point, Ricky is at best a very average runner and an above average sideshow. How is he worth the bother?
 

Tulip

Veteran
For 4 of Ricky's 5 full seasons, he rushed for 1,000 plus yards. That's fairly productive. And I'm not saying he's Barry Sanders, but Barry Sanders played on a dog of a football team. A running back just can't make a team (for latest example, see Peterson, Adrian).

The NFL's policy on pot is so dumb and pointless because pot doesn't enhance performance nor does it endanger a player's health. It's a waste of time, especially considering the frequency at which a previously violating player has to take new drug tests.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
For 4 of Ricky's 5 full seasons, he rushed for 1,000 plus yards.
Ahman Green has rushed for 1000 yards 6 times. Been to the Pro Bowl after 4 seasons. How is that helping the Texans running game right now?
 

TexansSeminole

Hall of Fame
Ah-ha..... There in lies the problem.
People act like Ahman just lost it or something. Dude's knee is injured, has been all year, yet people still act as if this is him at 100%. Kinda sad, and kinda dumb if you ask me.

Plus he is playing through the injury in most cases, and people still act as if he hadn't done anything for us.
 

TexansSeminole

Hall of Fame
A chance? How many chances does Ricky get? If this was Ricky Jones out of the University of Montana, who would care about his reinstatement?

What really makes me scratch my head regarding the jocking for Ricky is that he hasn't been that great as a pro. Williams did make it to the Pro Bowl once 5 years ago. Other than that, Ricky's been pretty mediocre. It's not as if his presence has helped teams get to the playoffs. Williams has appeared in one playoff game in his career, and gained all of 14 yards.

If you're thinking about the Ricky Williams that won the Heisman at UT, I get it. That guy was great. He rarely surfaced in the NFL. At this point, Ricky is at best a very average runner and an above average sideshow. How is he worth the bother?
What? Ricky was a damn good football player in the beginning of his NFL career. I don't know what you consider to be "that great" but the guy has been a pretty successful duel threat RB since he has been in this league. When I watched Ricky Williams in the NFL I didn't see medicore.

I don't understand you pointing out that he has been in one playoff game. The Texans have never been to the playoffs, so nobody that we have ever drafted (that remains on the team) has either. I don't really get what that proves.

If you watched the Dolphins when he was a starter there...he was pretty much their whole offense until he started getting in trouble for smoking weed.

Mediocre? I don't see mediocre at all.
 

TexansSeminole

Hall of Fame
I don't think people realize that not only did he run the ball pretty damn well but he also was a great receiver out of the backfield.
 
Kind of hard to trade this season and most of our WR are FA after the season, except JJ, AJ, and Walter.
I'm going to go ahead and assume that Davis will be kept. That leaves the Texans with a lot of legs. Might be worth giving up for the risk. And yes, after the season.
 

Dread-Head

Hall of Fame

Question? What did he smoke to celebrate? Ohhhhhhhh! Thankyou ladies and gents you've been great! Don't forget to tip your waitresses! Goodnight!


exit stage left.
 
To me, Ahman has not lived up to my expectations. I thought he would last at least till mid-season. Unless he is able to come back and do some damage to the rushing game later in the season, I really think that the Texans need to look somewhere else. This is where I'm getting my why not Ricky? theory. Like everybody else, I'm against giving him a big, fat check and giving up draft picks for him. But if, like Carr, the guy is dropped, I say court the guy. The Texans need a run game, and they need backs that can stay healthy. While it's anybody's guess as to whether he'll pass his drug tests, at least he'll stay healthy.
 

TexansSeminole

Hall of Fame
To me, Ahman has not lived up to my expectations. I thought he would last at least till mid-season. Unless he is able to come back and do some damage to the rushing game later in the season, I really think that the Texans need to look somewhere else. This is where I'm getting my why not Ricky? theory. Like everybody else, I'm against giving him a big, fat check and giving up draft picks for him. But if, like Carr, the guy is dropped, I say court the guy. The Texans need a run game, and they need backs that can stay healthy. While it's anybody's guess as to whether he'll pass his drug tests, at least he'll stay healthy.
Bro, Ahman is injured. Everybody, and anybody get injured, I don't think it has alot to do with him specifically.

We need to keep Ahman for next year, I can't imagine what our RB situation would be without him.
 
I am a big fan of having Ahman on the team, and we knew there was a risk with injuries. In his case, things have not gone well health-wise since he came to the team. If the Texans can find a way to keep him healthy, then he will be a boon to them. But honestly, it looks like season 2 of waiting for a good running back to be healthy enough to be productive. The Texans will never make the play-offs with that ideology.

Now, if you're (not you literally) telling me that the way they are going to keep Ahman healthy is by getting him a line that can push guys around, then I'm all for it. Draft some left tackles and centers and fix the line, and a lot of the offensive woes will fade away.

The more I think of it, the less I like the idea of taking Ricky, though. He would mean too much for the Texans. I don't like the idea of him being the starter or projected starter. I'm cautious about the idea that he would be part of a running-back duo. It's all based on the reliability of the player and whether the team could get 10-16 games out of him. I just don't think it's there.
 
Top