Rewind back to 2019 for a moment, and undrafted rookie wide receiver Preston Williams burst onto the scene for the Miami Dolphins with 428 receiving yards and three touchdowns over his first eight NFL appearances.
Unfortunately, the promising start fizzled as injuries plagued the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher out of Colorado State — and Williams’ next 16 appearances from 2020 through 2021 produced fewer receiving yards than that magical rookie run in 2019.
The only NFL franchise to take a chance on Williams after his Dolphins departure was the Carolina Panthers in 2022, but now the 26-year-old will get a different sort of opportunity. According to the XFL website and Palm Beach Post reporter Joe Schad, the DC Defenders have signed Williams as an “active list addition.”
Technically, the Defenders joined the UFL after the XFL-USFL merger on December 31, 2023. DC went 9-1 during their 2023 campaign as part of the XFL, losing the league’s championship game to the Arlington Renegades.
Ex-Dolphins WR Preston Williams Could Turn UFL Opportunity Into NFL Bid
With the UFL operating in the spring, as the XFL and USFL have done in recent years, it allows for players like Williams to attempt to prove themselves in the eyes of NFL scouts. After all, turning heads in these secondary leagues has led to training camp invites in the past.
On rare occasion, a player might even reboot their career. And at the very least, it’s an opportunity for forgotten athletes to continue to make a living on the football field.
For Williams, it’s another chance to show suitors that he’s healthy. The former Dolphins rookie has already done it at the NFL level. Now he must prove that he can do it again.
Who knows, maybe he can even parlay this stint with the Defenders into his next NFL bid. Williams was counted out before in the draft, and he was able to turn that humble beginning into 17 starts against the best and brightest of the sport.
Dolphins May Have to Get Creative in 2024 Due to Cap Issues
As the DC Defenders gain a few nostalgic Dolphins fans this spring, the UFL should serve as a reminder that there are creative ways that Miami can get their hands on talented players in 2024 — and that might be necessary for general manager Chris Grier.
On January 22, Sports Illustrated’s Omar Kelly explained why the Dolphins may have a cap crisis on their hands heading into the new league year in March.
“There’s a domino effect to every decision the Miami Dolphins have to make this offseason,” Kelly wrote. “Every contract, every shakedown, every restructuring has consequences, and ramifications that will not only impact the product on the field in 2024, but the team’s books moving forward.”
“The Dolphins are $52 million over the NFL’s projected salary cap, and need to purge between $65-90 million this offseason to rebuild/retool last year’s 11-6 team, getting the Dolphins to the point they re-sign their own free agents, and add newcomers who can end the franchise’s 23-year drought of not winning a playoff game,” he detailed, outlining key decisions that included star players like Tua Tagovailoa, Christian Wilkins, Tyreek Hill, Xavien Howard and more.
In the end, Kelly concluded that these cap issues may force “complicated decisions” in 2024, and that a lack of financial space could result in the Dolphins using late-round draft picks, undrafted prospects and even UFL standouts to fill out their roster depth behind starters on each side of the football.
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Ex-Dolphins Breakout WR Lands in UFL: Report