During his tenure as head coach and general manager of the Patriots, Bill Belichick was praised for his natural ability to continue to field championship-winning teams with ease, and while many teams have tried to emulate that effort, none have been able to replicate what he did over the course of two decades.
What makes Belichick’s job even more appealing is his keen eye for talent that most other teams miss in the draft, which has allowed the Patriots to develop two late draft picks into stars in Tom Brady and Julian Edelman.
Many players thrived in New England because of that belief, but in the latter stages of Belichick’s career, he seemed to miss more draft picks than he hit home runs, which inevitably became a problem in the team’s ongoing efforts to keep winning Super Bowls with Brady under center.
Unfortunately, the draft missteps piled up, with some classes still having a single player on the team a year after being selected, most memorably wide receiver N’Keal Harry, a much-needed first-round pick who never quite performed as the Patriots had hoped.
Another of the worst players was former Vanderbilt cornerback JoeJuan Williams, a second-round pick in 2019. The Patriots had a deep defense at the time and needed depth more than anything, but Williams never made an impact on the team. After spending the last season on injured reserve in his final season in New England, Williams was waived last year.
He ultimately signed with the Vikings, but is now on the way to signing with a new team in hopes of reviving his NFL career.
After spending last season on the Vikings and Bears practice squads, Williams spent most of the offseason working out and trying to earn a contract with a team in 2024. That call finally came this week with the Saints, who signed the cornerback to a one-year contract.
The #Saints activated tight end Juwan Johnson from the PUP list and signed veteran cornerback JoeJuan Williams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2024
Considering how Williams’ career has gone over the past two years, it’s fair to assume this is likely his final chance to make it in the NFL, but unfortunately for him, the Saints defense is no joke, allowing the ninth-fewest passing yards in the league last season.
It may be an uphill battle to make the roster or practice squad, but it’s clear Williams is committed to continuing his career.
