Maxx Williams

Tossed aside by the Ravens after the 2018 season, Williams found a new home in Arizona and fared well enough to earn a two-year extension in November 2019. Overall, he hasn't done much as a receiver, hauling in 23 of 29 targets for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 25 outings with the team. But his blocking is valued, and despite receiving tight end Dan Arnold signing with the Panthers this offseason, the Cardinals offset the loss with negligible additions to the position group. Thus, Williams is left as the most accomplished tight end on the roster by a long shot.

A second-round selection of the Ravens in 2015, Williams posted 32 receptions as a rookie, but injuries limited him to 31 total over the ensuing three years. In that last season, he also had to vie with draft picks Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews for snaps, and Williams thus was beholden to free agency for another chance. The Cardinals gave Williams one last offseason, and he performed well enough to secure a two-year, $7 million extension from the team in November. While he doesn't offer much as a pass catcher, as evidenced by a 15-202-1 line on 19 targets in his first year in Arizona, his primary competition for playing time is Dan Arnold. Expect Williams to be the blocking tight end this season, with Arnold acting as a threat in the red zone.

The 2015 second-rounder finds himself firmly on the roster bubble after the Ravens spent first- and third-round picks on tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. Williams was billed as an athletic pass catcher in the same vein as Hurst and Andrews coming out of Minnesota, but a serious knee injury washed out his 2016 season and he hardly saw the field in 2018. Nick Boyle is a near lock to make the roster thanks to his standout blocking ability, and the draft picks will both be getting their shots as well, which leaves Williams at the mercy of the Ravens' numbers game in terms of roster spots. If the Ravens do keep Williams, that will mean four tight ends on the 53-man roster. And in that scenario, Williams would be the No. 4 tight end. With that, it's tough to envision Williams carving out much of a role this season, even after Hurst suffered a foot injury in late August.

The former second-round pick has been something of a disappointment to this point in his career, with 32 catches over 18 games. That said, a knee injury cost him 12 games last season, so it'd be unfair to write off Williams after two incomplete campaigns. He probably won't be an option for run-first situations, but the Ravens could use him as a part-time weapon in the passing game, with Ben Watson and/or Nick Boyle handling most of the blocking work. Baltimore's tight end depth chart thinned out considerably when Dennis Pitta and Crockett Gillmore suffered season-ending injuries this summer. Watson and Boyle represent the main competition for snaps.

Williams entered last season with a bit of optimism, as the team's lack of quality receivers seemed to open the door for the first tight end selected in the draft. Alas, he lost the starting job in training camp to Crockett Gillmore and never factored into the offense much, even in the six games Gillmore missed to injury. At 6-4, 250, Williams might have at least grabbed some goal-line looks, but even there he rarely had his number called – just four red-zone targets, three inside the 10, no TDs. Even if Gillmore is used more as blocker this season, Williams still has to fend off free-agent signee Ben Watson, who had 74 receptions last year for the Saints. The Ravens also added Mike Wallace to the wideout mix, and WR Breshad Perriman, who missed all of his rookie season with a knee injury, should be healthy.

The first tight end selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams surprisingly slipped to late in the second round, probably because of his 4.78 40-yard dash time. His other combine numbers were good, and he's the most polished receiver among rookie tight ends. While he profiles as an eventual starter and serious pass-catching threat, Williams did land with a team that has some other options at this position. However, 2014 third-rounder Crockett Gillmore is more of a blocker, while Dennis Pitta (hip) may be forced into retirement by a second serious hip injury in the last two years. Also working in Williams' favor is the fact that the Ravens have some serious uncertainty at wide receiver, potentially opening up more target opportunities during his rookie campaign. Gillmore locked down the starting job with a strong training camp, but Williams is still expected to have a role in two-tight end formations and on passing downs.