Cardinals rookie WR Williams to see the field more

Nov 23, 2017 - 12:21 AM TEMPE, Ariz. -- About the most action Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Chad Williams has seen this season is when he clears out of the way from a crush of reporters and cameramen taking over the space in front of his locker to position themselves for teammate Larry Fitzgerald's weekly locker-room interview sessions.

That will continue to happen, but at least now Williams will be getting on the field and playing alongside the future Hall of Famer.

Williams, the Cardinals' third-round pick out of Grambling, is about to become a regular part of head coach Bruce Arians' offense moving forward, and it starts this Sunday when Arizona meets the Jacksonville Jaguars at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Williams has only appeared in two games -- a Week 2 overtime victory over the Colts in which he caught one pass for 15 yards, and a Week 3 loss at home to Dallas when he caught one pass for 8 yards.

But just like rookie tight end Ricky Seals-Jones last week, Williams is about to be thrown into the mix because of Arians' continual griping about too many regular pass-catchers dropping the football and failing to make critical receptions.

"Chad Williams is going to get his shot," Arians said this week. "He's been practicing really, really well, just like Ricky. Those guys have been practicing really well, and it's time for them to get a look."

Williams, who was drafted with the hope that he could someday take over for Fitzgerald as the club's future No. 1 wideout, was smiling from ear to ear upon being told of Arians' comments.

"I'm just really excited, just ready and anxious for what's coming up," he said. "I've been in practice going against the best DBs in the league, sharpening up everything, and honestly, I just feel like I'm ready."

Williams has gotten plenty of time to watch and learn and study the playbook while being listed as inactive for the majority of the season. That time was difficult, but also invaluable.

"I definitely feel more comfortable because of it," he said. "I feel like I have way more experience now because of all the things I worked on and the mistakes I've been able to correct. I feel like all this time has made me a much better player."

Getting extensive work with quarterback Blaine Gabbert on the scout team has been another benefit for Williams.

"It helped a lot. I know exactly how Blaine throws and I kind of know what he thinks," Williams said. "In pregame, we always used to throw together and in scout team, we talked to each a lot like, 'How do you want me to run this and run that?' So I feel like we've got a pretty good connection."

Coaches have said Williams' route-running was his biggest obstacle, but that he's improved in that area considerably since training camp. It couldn't come at a better time, too, with wide receiver John Brown now sidelined because of turf toe and Arians possibly contemplating benching either J.J. Nelson or Jaron Brown, or both.

Learning every single day by watching and talking to Fitzgerald might be the most important tool in helping Williams take the next step.

"I've learned a lot from Larry. Larry's showed me how to be a pro," Williams said. "He's shown me what it takes to succeed in this league. He's always telling me the right and the wrong. ... Everything I see him do I try to model myself after that and it's been helpful."

SERIES HISTORY: 5th regular-season meeting. Series tied, 2-2. The Cardinals have won the last two meetings, most recently a 24-17 win at Jacksonville in November 2013. This will be the Jaguars' first ever visit to University of Phoenix Stadium. They are one of only two NFL teams yet to play in Glendale, the other being the Titans, who will make their first visit in two weeks. The last time the Cardinals played the Jaguars in Arizona was 2005, at Arizona State University. The Jaguars won that game 24-17 for their fourth straight win, but lost quarterback Byron Leftwich to a broken bone in his ankle when he was sacked by Adrian Wilson. Leftwich is now the Cardinals' quarterbacks coach.

--Five players did not practice on Wednesday because of injuries. They were wide receiver John Brown (turf toe), running back Elijhaa Penny (knee) and defensive linemen Josh Mauro (ankle), Corey Peters (ankle) and Olsen Pierre (shoulder).

Four others were limited: outside linebacker Chandler Jones (hip/knee), wide receiver J.J. Nelson (chest), center A.J. Shipley (shoulder) and quarterback Drew Stanton (knee).

--Head coach Bruce Arians said it appears doubtful that the Cardinals will activate any of their players off injured reserve, including running back David Johnson (wrist) and quarterback Carson Palmer (arm).

--Wide receiver Carlton Agudosi was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad and could get some game action Sunday against the visiting Jaguars as head coach Bruce Arians continues to lament the number of dropped passes by his regular wide receivers. Agudosi joined the Cardinals in May as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Rutgers.

In addition, the Cardinals also signed wide receiver Alonzo Russell to the practice squad. Russell entered the league with the Bengals in 2016 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Toledo, and he spent all of last season on Cincinnati's practice squad.

--Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians on what led to the release of running back Andre Ellington earlier in the week: "Poor play. Just poor play."

--"I just think he's going to get better the more football he plays at this level. The guy is fun to watch when you watch the film. He plays at s different speed than a lot of the other guys on the field. He's so twitchy and explosive. He's a phenomenal tackler for his size. He's very physical and he does a fantastic job in coverage. Just the ground he covers when he closes on the football, to me, is exceptional." -- General manager Steve Keim on rookie safety Budda Baker.

--Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones had a choice to sign with several teams as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas A&M and the former wide receiver said he narrowed his choices to the Seahawks, the Texans and the Cardinals.

"I chose Arizona because of B.A's offense," he said, referring to head coach Bruce Arians. "I just thought it was a great fit. ... Houston looked like a good fit, too, but I kind of wanted to get away so I chose here."

Playing against his hometown Texans last week, Seals-Jones recorded his first NFL receptions and touchdowns of his young career when he caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Asked about having to wait for his opportunity, Seals-Jones said, "I just came in day in and day out to work and when I got my name called, I was going to be ready whether it was the first game of the season or the last game off the season. I just came in and worked and was just waiting on it."

--"Oh man, that's cold. I wouldn't play with their hearts like that. That's just cold." -- RB Adrian Peterson when told that when Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith played for the Cardinals, he surprised his offensive linemen with keys to their own Hummers, only the Hummers turned out to be radio-controlled toy Hummers.

NOTES: NT Corey Peters (high-ankle sprain) is making improvements, but it's unlikely he will play Sunday against the Jaguars after missing last week's game in Houston. Peters should be able to play in another week against the visiting Rams. ... RB D.J. Foster, a second-year pro from Arizona State, will continue to assume the primary third-down back role once held by Andre Ellington, who was released earlier in the week. Foster got his first taste of action last week against the Texans and caught two passes for 26 yards. "He's been impressive since he's been here," head coach Bruce Arians said of Foster. "We had some things in there for him, but we just never got to them in the game. But I like where he's at."

--WR Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL in receptions a year ago with 107 at age 33, and entering week 12 this season at age 34, he is second in the league with 69 catches, one behind the Steelers' Antonio Brown. Fitzgerald needs 52 receiving yards to surpass Isaac Bruce (15,208) for fourth place on the league's all-time receiving yards list. He is 136 yards away from passing Randy Moss (15,292) for third place all-time. ... OLB Chandler Jones, should he get a sack on Sunday vs. Jacksonville, would become the first Cardinals player to register at least 11 sacks in back-to-back years since Freddie Joe Nunn in 1987 and 1988.