Joe Schoen strikes! While the newly hired general manager may still be on the prowl for a head coach, he’s officially spun his first personnel move since being in office — and it’s only right that the new addition has personal ties to Schoen.
On January 27, the New York Giants signed running back Antonio Williams to a reserve/futures contract. Williams, 24, spent the better part of the past two seasons as a member of the Buffalo Bills where Schoen served as the assistant general manager.
Forever grateful for my time in Buffalo
Excited to get to work in the Big Apple! @Giants
Williams Flashed in Buffalo
Williams, who started his collegiate career at Ohio State, transferred to North Carolina following his sophomore campaign. Over his two seasons with the Tar Heels, Williams battled for snaps behind the star-studded duo of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, now of the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, respectively. Still, the local North Carolina product managed to compile 961 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns during his time at Chapel Hill.
Undrafted in 2020, Williams was quickly scooped up by Schoen and the Bills where he went on to spent the past two seasons serving mostly as a reserve piece on the practice squad. With that said, he was given one opportunity to showcase his skillset back in Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season. In a 56-28 blowout victory over the Miami Dolphins, Williams toted the rock 12 times for a team-high 63 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 20 yards through the air on one reception.
Now in New York, Williams will join a Giants backfield consisting of Saquon Barkley, Devontae Booker, Gary Brightwell and Sandro Platzgummer.
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Bill Parcells on Giants Job: It’s the Best Job in the League’
Before Schoen was ripping off back-to-back divisional titles with the Bills, he was serving under former Giants coach Bill Parcells as a national scout for Buffalo’s AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins.
When the G-Men ultimately reached out to Schoen regarding their GM vacancy, Schoen was quick to seek out to his former superior for advice:
He told me it’s the best job in the league. That was some of the advice he gave me when I talked to him. I could go on and on about coach. I know why he was such a good coach, because he understood personnel and he understood the X’s and O’s and he was a great teacher.
I got him probably on the back nine of his career. He was a constant teacher, always talking to me. I’ve said this several times, he would say, ‘You know what Tom Landry used to tell me, Joe?’ I’m just a young scout and you’re on the edge of your seat, like, ‘Tom Landry told Bill Parcells and he’s getting ready to tell me.’ All the stories he has, he understood personnel. Philosophically, maybe he’s a little bit different. He hasn’t evolved to where maybe the game is today. But I learned a lot from him just how to build a roster, what to look for in different positions, what to look for in head coaches. You better know what you want on your roster because coaches are going to come and go. It’s just the volatility of the industry. I love coach to death. He’s been awesome to me. He still calls me every now and then. I can pick up my phone and call him and he’ll answer. He’s not afraid to call on a Monday after a game and give his two cents on the roster and what we need when I was in Buffalo, so a ton of respect for coach and I love him to death.
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Giants Strike Deal With Former Bills Running Back