The offseason has not been kind to Buffalo Bills running back Karlos Williams. After overeating to support his pregnant wife, the Florida State product arrived to team workouts overweight. Now, Williams is back in the headlines for a more serious reason. He will be suspended for the first four games of the season thanks to a violation of the NFL’s drug policy.

This suspension comes at a rough time for the back. As a rookie, Williams was one of the big surprises of the 2015 season. Despite being slotted behind LeSean McCoy on the depth chart, Williams was still an offensive force. He played in 11 games — starting three while McCoy was injured — and managed a robust 5.6 yards per carry, while scoring nine total touchdowns.

McCoy was still the presumptive starter in Buffalo, but his days as a bell-cow back are over. He is on the downside of his career, and would benefit from a capable backup grabbing touches to keep him fresh. Williams was first in line to take that backup role, and poised for a breakout season. Now that slot goes to Mike Gillislee, who enjoyed a fairly successful 2015 campaign with the Bills in his own right.

Williams is eligible to return for the Week Five matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, but if Gillislee performs well in his absence, Williams could be stuck on the sidelines for most of 2016.

[NFL Network]

About Ben Sieck

Ben is a recent graduate of Butler University where he served as Managing Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Butler Collegian. He currently resides in Indianapolis.