Cardinals rookie WR Chad Williams ‘ready’ for opportunity

Around Thanksgiving, the rookies tend to eat.

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians often marks the holiday season as the point in the calendar when rookies finally catch up, mastering the playbook and NFL life. And for a 4-6 Arizona team already showing signs of building for the 2018 season, it would make sense that it’s time to look at the young talent at hand.

With all the wide receiver drops over the course of 2017, that couldn’t be more true regarding third-round pick Chad Williams, the receiver out of Grambling State.

Arians wasn’t hiding that fact on Monday.

“Chad Williams is going to get his shot,” Arians told the media. “He’s been practicing really, really well, just like Ricky (Seals-Jones). Those guys have been practicing really well, and it’s time for them to get a look.”

RELATED: Arians: ‘Hard to describe’ reason for WR drops

The Cardinals’ 31-21 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday saw the emergence of safety Budda Baker and quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the latter coming despite the active status of previous starter Drew Stanton. But more surprisingly, it was Seals-Jones, a receiver-turned-tight end out of Texas A&M, who stole the show with two touchdown catches.

Additionally, versatile running back D.J. Foster, who was signed off the Patriots’ practice squad when starting running back David Johnson went down with a wrist injury in Week 1, played a handful of snaps and is expected to see more playing time.

With wide receiver production outside of Larry Fitzgerald the Achilles heel over the last two weeks, the options in the passing game appear to be under a full reshuffling.

Williams’ opportunity follows as the Cardinals begin searching for reliable options to help Fitzgerald, who signed a one-year contract extension last week.

“Just real excited,” Williams said Monday. “Been anxious for a long time. Been in practice going against the best DBs in the league, you know, sharpening up everything. I feel like I’m ready.”

A scout team body up until this point, Williams already has chemistry with Gabbert, who until Carson Palmer went down with a broken arm three weeks ago was the third-string quarterback.

“I know exactly how Blaine throws, I know what he thinks,” Williams said. “I think we got a pretty good connection.”

As the Cardinals publicly announced that their radar is focused on finding receiving talent, all eyes will be on Williams come Sunday’s Week 12 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who lead the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed per game.

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim may have said it best when he was asked on Doug & Wolf if the personnel moves looking forward have more to do with finding answers this year or setting up the future in 2018 and 2019.

The answer: Why can’t it be both?

“When you look at the way Seals-Jones played yesterday, having his opportunity, if other guys aren’t getting it done, why not give other guys opportunity because they may succeed?” Keim said.

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