Who Should I Start? Jamaal Williams or Javonte Williams

Tuesday, March 4, 5:13 PM

The New Orleans Saints released running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday, according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. The move comes after Williams' worst season as a pro in 2024 in his second year with the Saints. The 29-year-old was rarely used behind starter Alvin Kamara and finished with a career-low 48 rushing attempts for 164 yards and one touchdown while adding only nine receptions for 57 yards on 11 targets in 14 games (one start). Williams had a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022 in his final year with the Detroit Lions but averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, 470 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his 27 games (five starts) in two seasons with the Saints. He's unlikely to garner a ton of interest on the open market in free agency this offseason and will almost certainly have to settle for a depth role at RB wherever he signs.

Monday, March 10, 7:38 PM

The Dallas Cowboys have signed free-agent running back Javonte Williams on Monday. The two sides have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract that carries a maximum value of $3.5 million through incentives. This is a low-risk move by the Cowboys to address the lack of depth in their backfield. The assumption is that Williams will serve as the backup to Rico Dowdle to begin the season. However, the Cowboys could still add more backs through free agency or the upcoming NFL draft. Williams has been unable to live up to the hype of his rookie season where he rushed for 903 yards in 2021. The 24-year-old was stuck in a backfield committee last season with the Denver Broncos. There's a good chance Williams ends up in a committee type of approach in Dallas, so this move shouldn't give fantasy managers too much confidence in a bounce back campaign from Williams.