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Is DeAngelo Williams Still in the Panthers' Plans?

Is DeAngelo Williams Still in the Panthers' Plans?

Draft Sharks
May 3, 2013

** New Panthers GM Dave Gettleman offered this ringing endorsement on the radio Tuesday for RB DeAngelo Williams‘ status: "Right now, he's on the roster." As Pro Football Talk points out, Carolina could have released him already with the June 1 designation to spread out the cap hit. The fact he's still around suggests the team might just keep him. Then again, the Panthers drafted Oregon RB Kenjon Barner into an already-crowded backfield. They might still be hoping to trade Williams to a team that encounters an RB need. Fantasy owners would certainly love any move to take the shackles off RB Jonathan Stewart's significant upside.

** Texans HC Gary Kubiak confirmed that the team is expecting rookie WR DeAndre Hopkins to make an immediate impact. "I'm expecting it right off the get-go," Kubiak said. "He's going in there, he's gonna get the reps. It's gonna be a very competitive situation, but we took him [in the 1st round] because we expect him to play very, very early and touch (the ball). This guy's on his way to being a pro already, and we've got to help him get there real fast." Hopkins is a polished and productive receiver. He should step right into the starting lineup alongside Andre Johnson. Can he be a starter for your fantasy team? Click here to join up and immediately get our take on Hopkins' 2013 outlook!

** NFL players are apparently stupid. That's the only explanation for them voting Ravens WR Jacoby Jones ahead of Seahawks WR Percy Harvin in NFL Network's annual Top 100 player rankings. Or perhaps the players simply consider dance moves more critical than actual football ability.

** New Browns HC Rob Chudzinski told 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland that he's "pleased" with the progress of QB Brandon Weeden and lauded his "outstanding" approach. He also decided not to say that he's committed to the 2nd-year player as the 2013 starter. "We'll just see as we go forward," Chudzinski said. "I expect both of these guys to compete. I don't know any other way." Weeden will have to beat out veteran Jason Campbell to keep his job. Of course, neither should be competing for a spot on your fantasy roster.

** The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes that 3rd-round WR Markus Wheaton could make the biggest impact of any Steelers rookie this season. Wheaton brings good downfield speed and polished route running. Doug Farrar of Yahoo!'s Shutdown Corner blog compared him to Brandon Lloyd. Wheaton, of course, will likely compete with 1st-round OLB Jarvis Jones for the "most impactful" label. But the fact that he's in the discussion makes Wheaton worth a look later in your fantasy draft. He might open the season behind only Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders on the WR depth chart.

** Jets WR Stephen Hill revealed that he underwent knee surgery in December to repair his LCL. The injury cost him the final 3 games of his rookie campaign. Hill says he's now back to 100% and will participate in the Jets' offseason program. A raw receiver on a feeble passing attack, Hill finished 2012 with just 21 catches, 253 yards and 3 TDs. The 6?4, 215-pounder still carries upside, but he'll need to refine his game and get better QB play if he's to reach it. We're not betting on that happening in 2013.

** Packers RB Eddie Lacy says he's back to 100%. "From Day 1, I'm going to be ready to go," he said recently. A bum hamstring plagued Lacy for a few months this offseason. He also dealt with knee and pectoral problems. He suffered toe, elbow and hand injuries while at Alabama. We recently learned that the toe required surgery last offseason. The sketchy medical history caused Lacy to fall to the Packers at the bottom of Round 2. He could prove to be an absolute steal there. If healthy, Lacy has the size and skill set to be a dominant NFL RB.

Have a great weekend. Be sure to check Shark Bites for more fantasy football player news.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.