Fatman Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 www.fanball.com Cadillac Wheels into Camp By Jason Powell, Associate Editor July 29, 2005 11:00 AM ET Cadillac Williams inked a five-year contract on Friday. A Cadillac arrived in the parking lot of Buccaneers' training camp headquarters at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida on Friday morning. The sight of a rich athlete in a high-priced vehicle is hardly a newsworthy event, but this Cadillac is a player, not a car. Okay, enough with the lame plays on Carnell Williams's nickname. The Bucs signed the rookie running back to a five-year contract on Friday. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the Tampa Tribune reports that the deal includes guaranteed payouts worth more than $10 million. It had been widely assumed that Williams, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2005 draft, would wait for fellow rookie rushers Ronnie Brown, the No. 2 overall pick, and Cedric Benson, the No. 4 overall pick, to sign with their new teams before he would finalize his own deal. The logic behind that assumption was that Brown and Benson could have set the precedent for Williams's negotiations. Instead, Buccaneers' general manager Bruce Allen and agent Ben Dorga pulled an all-nighter Thursday and hammered out a deal that paved the way for the former Tiger to take part in the team's first training camp practice on Friday morning. So rather than wait for others to lead the way, Williams might have set the standard for Benson's negotiations with the Bears since the two rushers were selected back-to-back on draft day. Williams helped his own cause by reporting to camp on time. He'd already been penciled in as the starting tailback, but a lengthy holdout could have forced Bucs' head coach Jon Gruden to move Michael Pittman back into the starting role he played last season. With his contract signed, Williams enters camp as the unofficial No. 1 back on the depth chart, while Pittman and aging veteran Charlie Garner will fight for the No. 2 role. Fantasy owners should pay close attention to Williams during the upcoming exhibition season. The argument can certainly be made that Cadillac has more fantasy potential this season than fellow rookies Brown and Benson. Whereas Williams should have no trouble fending off Pittman and Garner, Brown must contend with the returning Ricky Williams, and Benson is listed behind Thomas Jones on the Bears' depth chart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted July 29, 2005 Author Share Posted July 29, 2005 Nevermind. Got scooped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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