The Facts:
The agent representing Williams and the team’s GM, Mark Dominik, had a “very productive meeting” at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, creating optimism the sides can agree on a contract extension. But the agent, Hadley Engelhard, said the timeline has been pushed back, with the Bucs asking for time to get through the couple of busy months that lie ahead. “We are progressing toward a new contract for Mike,” Engelhard said. “But they’ve asked us to be patient to let them get through free agency and the draft. ... The target date right now would be some time in May.”
Reported by the Tampa Bay Times
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
Williams, selected in the fourth round in 2010, has averaged 64 catches in his first three seasons and had a career-best 996 yards in 2012. As Times Stephen Holder notes, Williams has always expressed gratitude that the Bucs selected him when many other teams had taken him completely off their draft boards because of a belief that he walked away from his Syracuse team while in college. News of the meeting suggests things are moving in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean this will be a slam dunk. According to Holder, the Bucs will have to offer a package that makes it worthwhile for Williams, 25, to forgo free agency, which he would be eligible for after the 2013 season.
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