Getty Tim Williams #56 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts after a play against the Washington Redskins during the first half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 29, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers followed through on reported roster moves Thursday when they officially announced the addition of former Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Tim Williams and released tight end Evan Baylis to make room for him on the active roster.
After ESPN’s Rob Demovsky first reported the move Wednesday, the Packers followed through on the curious pickup of the linebacker who was a third-round pick for the Ravens in 2017 but recorded just two sacks and 18 tackles in 19 NFL games before being released Monday.
Williams was once a dominant linebacker who played in back-to-back College Football Championship games for Nick Saban’s Alabama team, but the 25-year-old needs something to pull his NFL career back from the brink after making no waves in his first two seasons.
Williams is a former teammate of Packers pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. He also has a connection with Packers personnel executive Milt Hendrickson, who was hired away from Baltimore earlier this year and may have played a role in bringing Williams to Green Bay, as Packers Wire speculated.
The Packers could be in need of some depth at outside linebacker after Kyler Fackrell didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice with a nagging shoulder injury. He was back Thursday practicing alongside Williams, but the injury has stuck around for Fackrell since Week 3.
The inside group is also a little banged up with signal-caller Blake Martinez and still-recovering Oren Burks both limited participants as well Wednesday.
Shoulders are the injury of the week for the Packers. Here’s their full report with Kyler Fackrell as the latest with that malady: t.co/E8uvT5HuPi
Baylis, meanwhile, isn’t necessarily leaving Green Bay as The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported the Packers intend to sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
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Williams Will Compete with Rashan Gary
The Packers acquired a twin-headed monster of a pass rush when they signed Za’Darius and Preston Smith in the offseason, but they supplemented those moves when they drafted Michigan edge rusher Rashan Gary with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
It would be an understatement, though, to say Gary has yet to hit his stride for the Packers four games into his rookie season — even with the expectation that it would take him time to learn a new position.
He took a good step forward with his first career sack and a four-tackle performance in a 27-16 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 3, but he followed it up with just one tackle while playing nearly 30 percent of defensive snaps last Thursday in a 34-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fackrell’s return Thursday bodes well for him playing Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, but Williams could potentially challenge Gary for playing time if he becomes a regular part of the rotation behind the Smiths.
Great rushers and average rushers alike have plowed holes through the Packers defensive front and rendered Green Bay the seventh-worst team at stopping the run in 2019. Head coach Matt LaFleur on Monday attributed struggles against the run to missed assignments and poor gap discipline, according to Packers Wire. Not exactly the type of things you want to hear with a matchup against powerhouse running back Ezekiel Elliot looming this weekend.
Given a real chance to play, Williams could make the most of his need-based opportunity for the Packers, but he’ll need to play like his career depends on it — because, well, it just might.
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