Is Troy Williamson, perennial offseason MVP, finally ready to have a breakout season? I've long forgotten to keep track of him since he was traded to Jacksonville, but our pals over at Big Cat Country have been raving about his performance this preseason. From their recap of the Jacksonville-Tampa game on Saturday:
Troy Williamson looked every bit a top NFL receiver tonight. The deep ball was caught so naturally you couldn't believe it. The second was a diving adjustment to a bad throw from David and the third was deep in traffic. Well here is the catch and run. I honestly can't believe this is the same guy as last year. I know I am way over the top on this next statement, but what I saw tonight I would rather have Troy than Santonio Holmes.
His stat line from Saturday night: Three receptions, 147 yards, and a touchdown. In fact, the very first offensive play of the game was a 74-yard touchdown from David Garrard to Williamson.
Impressive, no doubt. But we've seen this before from Williamson: Perform well in every situation besides a regular season game, then have an absolute meltdown when it counts the most. I certainly hope he finally gets his act together this season, because he still has the raw athleticism to succeed. Still, though, he has a lot to prove. We'll have to wait and see how he performs on Sunday afternoons this fall -- when the games actually matter.