Atlanta Falcons drop veteran running back Damien Williams

The Atlanta Falcons cut veteran running back Damien Williams earlier this week moving on from a veteran expected to play a huge role this season. Cutting Williams is less about what Damien did wrong and more about the players that surpassed him while he dealt with an injury. Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier both emerged as legitimate options and surpassed the veteran on the depth chart.

Williams will end his time with the Falcons with 2-rushing yards in a forgettable stop. However, this move doesn’t speak to where Williams is in his career but rather the surprising depth Atlanta found at the position.  Allgeier and Patterson are both under contract for next season and should be able to carry the bulk of the carries with Avery Williams or Caleb Huntley used as the third option at the position.

With Desmond Ridder taking over at quarterback Atlanta should be able to create a more balanced attack and open up more chunk plays for Patterson and Allgeier. It would be surprising not to see Williams quickly catch on with another team considering he is only two years removed from having a big impact on the Kansas City Chiefs in their playoff run.

If there is one position Atlanta won’t need to address heading into their off-season it is the running back spot. With Patterson locked up for one more season on a team-friendly deal and Allgeier entering the second year of his rookie deal it is easily the most stable position group on Atlanta’s roster.

While the Falcons clearly won their draft there is reason to be skeptical about their free agency and trade decisions (outside of the Matt Ryan deal) with Williams joining Bryan Edwards, Lorenzo Carter, and Casey Hayward (injury) as disappointments so far this season.