Blog

Aug 10, 2023

Raequan Williams on fast track to Panthers’ roster

Shooting through Justin McCray’s half-speed block, Panthers defensive tackle Raequan Williams braced to break up a running play. Williams, who is racing full speed up the depth chart, dramatically

Shooting through Justin McCray’s half-speed block, Panthers defensive tackle Raequan Williams braced to break up a running play.

Williams, who is racing full speed up the depth chart, dramatically reached out, indicating he would have made the play if he wasn’t forced to allow running back Spencer Brown to escape so easily during the non-contact drill. The acting wasn’t needed. Coach Frank Reich was confident Williams would have made the play and could deliver more as a regular-season rotation player.

Entering Friday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, Williams senses he may be close to making his NFL breakthrough. “I hope so,” he said following Wednesday’s workout. He explained how his post-Jacksonville Jaguars mindset helped fast-track his Carolina roster ascension.

“Doubling down,” he said. “Head-first, working hard. Hopefully, it happens.”

The defensive line room suffered an unexpected hit Monday with the release of second-year starter Marquan McCall, who was “penciled in as a nose in our base,” defensive line coach Todd Wash said during OTAs on May 25. Williams, in part, made McCall expendable. In last week’s 21-19 loss to the New York Giants, Williams tied for the team high with four tackles, including a sack and a post-Tyrod Taylor takedown jig. Williams accomplished what Reich challenged the Panthers’ fringe players to do.

“Each player, each unit, for the time they are in (preseason games),” Reich said. “Just take pride in what we do. Put on tape what we need to put on tape.”

Williams’ tape file is expanding. McCall, an undrafted free agent from Kentucky, appeared in 16 games with the Panthers as a rookie, recording 15 tackles, including two for loss. Unemployed for less than 24 hours, McCall was signed by the New England Patriots on Tuesday. At 379 pounds, McCall appeared to be a prototypical nose tackle as the Panthers adjusted to a 3-4 defense, but Reich pointed to the right “fit.”

“It comes down to a fit for us and what we’re trying to do and then we've had a couple of guys at that position who have really looked good,” Reich said Monday, as reported by Panthers.com. “I think for us in our scheme, there's more nuances to it than the traditional thing, so I'll just leave it at that."

The move cleared the way for additional playing time for Williams, but it also hit him hard.

“That’s my dog,” Williams said “I love how McCall went about things, but it’s a business at the end of the day.”

Paying his professional dues prior to joining the Panthers during the offseason, Williams dressed for seven games with the Philadelphia Eagles during 2020 and ‘21, collecting seven total tackles and a sack.

Then came inactive time in Jacksonville, failing to appear in a game with the Jaguars. Williams started to lose faith.

“That took a big shot out of me, mentally. Thinking ‘am I even good enough to be in this league?’” said Williams, adding he persevered via personal confidence. “You know what you’re made of. Stick with that and you’ll be all right. “It’s a game of longevity. Stay in the system and believe in yourself.”

Reich is becoming a believer, coaching Williams through offseason activities and training camp.

“Raequan’s looked good," he said. Williams looks like he’ll survive the final cut to make the 53-man roster, opening as a second-unit rotational piece. With one more preseason game to evaluate, Reich said Williams likely will “get some time (against Detroit). He will probably get a fair amount of time in this game.”

Williams, who grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, and played at Michigan State, became familiar with the Lions. He’s ready for Friday.

“Playing in that state, I got to watch a lot of them,” Williams said. “I’m excited to play against them. They are a downhill team.”

Reich met with his coordinators Tuesday night and other conferences were scheduled before Friday’s 8 p.m. kickoff at Bank of America Stadium. The coaches will continue to “finalize that plan” of which players will get the most stage presence before the preseason curtain falls.

“Where are we at? Who do we really need to see?” Reich said, going over the questions he plans to ask his assistants. “This thing (the 53-man roster) is not decided yet. There are a number of spots still open. “There’s a lot at stake as far as (the) roster.”

Williams is acting like it.