The Carolina Panthers Week 18 matchup with the New Orleans Saints may be viewed as a meaningless game by the fans but it will by no means be meaningless to the players and staff. Not only is this an opportunity to finish the season strong, but it's also a chance to take a look at some young guys on the roster who haven't seen the field much this season.
Interim head coach Steve Wilks mentioned wide receiver Preston Williams as someone who could be factored into the offense this week, which would mark his first appearance in a Panthers uniform.
Williams spent the first three years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, signing as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State. In 24 games with the Dolphins, Williams hauled in 56 receptions for 787 yards and seven touchdowns. Under new head coach Mike McDaniel, Williams was pushed down the depth chart and ultimately all the way down to the practice squad. Carolina signed him off of Miami's practice squad in early September and has spent the entire year learning while waiting for his opportunity.
"First of all, these practice squad guys, they come and they work their tails off," said offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. "Sometimes they even play both ways in practice and on special teams and they give it up for you, put a lot of miles on and Preston is one of those guys. When you have a guy like that that has a nice skillset to him, you'd like to throw him out there if you can and give him an opportunity to go show what he can do and just take a look at him in your system. A lot of times they could be running cards doing the opponent look stuff, so it's just good to get a look at him in practice and maybe in a game. He's certainly been a big part of this team this season even though he wasn't on the active roster.
"He's like throwing to an aircraft carrier. He's a big man. He's got a big catch radius. He's quarterback friendly that way. So, anytime you get a guy like that, he's always open."
The Panthers have until 4 p.m. today to elevate him to the active roster.
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