Duke Williams

Williams signed a reserve/future contract with the Bills on Tuesday.

Analysis: Williams only played in one contest for the Bills last season, logging four snaps in a Week 7 win over the Jets. The wideout bounced back and forth between the active roster and practice squad throughout the year and will now get a chance to remain with the team for offseason activities.

Williams reverted to the Bills' practice squad Monday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Analysis: Williams was elevated to the active roster for Saturday's wild-card game against the Colts, but he was ultimately a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old will rejoin fellow wideouts Kenny Stills and Tanner Gentry on the practice squad.

Williams (coach's decision) will not play in Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Colts.

Analysis: While Williams was recently brought up from the practice squad, the Bills have decided to sit him out for the wild-card round. The receiver is yet to see a single target this season as he has only played in one game throughout the 2020 campaign.

Williams was elevated from Buffalo's practice squad Friday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Analysis: Brown notes that whether Williams will be active in the wild-card round against the Colts on Saturday likely hinges on the status of fellow Bills wide receivers Stefon Diggs (oblique) and Cole Beasley (knee), who are both listed as questionable. Williams dressed for only one game in the regular season and didn't record a catch.

Williams was reverted to Buffalo's practice squad Monday.

Analysis: The 27-year-old was called up for the Bills' Week 7 road trip to MetLife Stadium, but he's been sent back down to the practice squad after fielding just four offensive snaps in an 18-10 win against the Jets. John Brown (knee) was inactive for the game, allowing Williams the chance to suit up, but Josh Allen leaned on his most trusted weapons Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs in what was a closely-contested affair.

The Bills elevated Williams to the active roster Saturday.

Analysis: Williams entered the league in 2016 and didn't make his NFL debut until 2019 when he played four games, recording 12 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown. With John Brown (knee) sidelined for Sunday's game versus the Jets, Williams will add depth. He's lined up as the No. 6 wide receiver in the pecking order, but he could handle some garbage time reps if the game gets out of hand early.

Williams has been added to the Bills' practice squad after being cut Saturday.

Analysis: The Bills like the size and athleticism Williams brings to the wideout position, but in the end he was eked out by a couple of talented rookies for a depth spot. The team will have no problem calling him up if anyone gets hurt in 2020 after he shined at times of need in 2019.

Buffalo waived Williams on Saturday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Williams appeared in four games with the Bills last season, across which span he caught 12 of 19 targets for 166 yards and a score. He'll look to resurface in a depth capacity elsewhere.

The Bills activated Williams (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday.

Analysis: The Bills aren't able to reveal whether Williams tested positive for COVID-19 or merely was exposed to someone who did as he reported to camp. Having said that, he spent 12 days working his way back to the active roster. As a part of a receiving corps that welcomed Stefon Diggs to its ranks this offseason, Williams may have a difficult climb to land a spot on the regular-season roster.

Williams was placed on the Bills' Reserve-COVID-19 list Wednesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Analysis: It has not been confirmed whether Williams has tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with an infected person or persons. Once he's cleared of any virus implications, he's set to compete for a depth spot at wide receiver, a challenge that got a bit more difficult when the team traded for Stefon Diggs this offseason.

Williams had four catches (10 targets) for 49 yards in Saturday's wild-card loss to the Texans.

Analysis: Williams went from being a healthy scratch for most of the season to leading the Bills with 22 targets over its last two contests. Last week's pronounced role came in a meaningless game where plenty of starters rested, but the team kept him heavily involved with the season in the balance. The undrafted rookie displayed good athleticism, and he is the only Buffalo wideout checking in above six feet tall (6-foot-3, 225 pounds). Veterans John Brown and Cole Beasley are entrenched as the team's outside and slot options, but Williams has put himself in position to compete for the other outside wideout role during training camp next season.

Williams is expected to be active for Saturday's Wild Card tilt against the Texans, Jenna Harner of News 4 Buffalo reports.

Analysis: Williams had a productive regular season finale, as he hauled in six of 12 targets for 108 yards. He had not suited up since Week 8 prior to that, but with the team resting several starters to keep them healthy for the playoffs, the rookie got an opportunity to shine. It looks like he did enough to earn an active designation, but he is simply expected to provide depth at wide receiver.

Williams caught six of 12 targets for 108 yards to lead all receivers during Sunday's loss to the Jets.

Analysis: The rookie hadn't suited up since Week 8, having been a healthy scratch across several games in favor of smaller, speedier receivers. Williams showed he was ready, making himself the main part of the offense in what certainly was an audition for the future. We'll see if it's enough to get him bumped ahead of Robert Foster -- who's done nearly nothing all season and didn't catch a pass even though he was active Sunday -- when the Bills travel to Houston for the wild-card round next weekend.

Williams is not among the inactives for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Jets, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Analysis: The athletic receiver is expected to suit up for the first time since Week 8. While he likely won't have starting quaterback Josh Allen for much of the game and will have to share the workload with Isaiah McKenzie and Robert Foster, Williams is one of the better red-zone targets the team has to offer. While his production probably won't be off the charts, Williams seems like one of the leading candidates to see some key throws if the Bills do score a couple of times in this game of subs.

Williams is inactive for the fifth straight game Thursday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Analysis: Even with a gimpy Robert Foster muddling his way through practices, Williams can't find a spot in the lineup. He's done a good job just making the team following a troubled college career that turned into a CFL stint, but for now he's come down a long way from his Week 5-8 relevancy.

Williams is inactive for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Analysis: That makes the fourth straight inactive week for the rookie. Effectively, he's gone from the No. 3 option in the passing game to the No. 6 spot. It's not that Williams really did anything wrong, just that the team has tweaked its offense to create a need for jet-sweep specialist Isaiah McKenzie, and there's no way return guru Andre Roberts would sit unless injured. Williams' best bet to see playing time is probably to outplay the disappointing Robert Foster during the practice week.

Williams is inactive for Sunday's game against Miami, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Analysis: So much for a rotation between Buffalo's depth wideouts, as the rookie will now sit for the third straight game. Williams has done a nice job getting a second chance at a career following troubled times in college, but for now he's still on the fringes of an NFL roster until injuries strike or the Bills simply have a change in focus and want to go with more size for their receiving corps.

Williams caught all four of his targets for 29 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, during Sunday's win over the Titans.

Analysis: Williams was just bumped up from the practice squad Saturday, so this turned out to be quite a weekend for the rookie. While John Brown and Cole Beasley remain the clear top options in the Buffalo passing game, the key takeaway here as that Zay Jones non-existent in this one while going catchless. Jones seems to be quickly wearing out his welcome with the Bills, so Williams have the chance to get more opportunities in the coming weeks.

Williams has been activated from the practice squad, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Analysis: The team had an open roster spot after cutting offensive lineman Conor McDermott earlier in the week. Williams -- who offers a great size/athleticism component but is still unpolished -- will start at the bottom of the depth chart but could work his way up quickly given how disappointing the No. 3 guy, Zay Jones, has been to go with the nagging injuries that keep pestering last season's breakout receiver, Robert Foster.

Williams has been signed to the Bills' practice squad, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Analysis: Williams just missed making the team and offers lots of upside with his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame, so we have to imagine the Bills are psyched no one else claimed him during the short waiver period. There's a decent chance the CFL signee sees action in the regular season once injuries or poor play happens with the regular crew.

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