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The Indianapolis Colts have signed free agent wide receiver Kasen Williams and waived wide receiver DeAndre Smelter.
Williams (6-1, 219, 25) was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Washington following the 2015 NFL Draft. However, he was waived due to a failed physical, then signed by the Seattle Seahawks shortly thereafter. From 2015 to the summer of 2017, Williams was a fan favorite and considered a breakout candidate. He impressed with strong showing in training camp and the preseason but never fully stuck to the roster, instead going back and forth from the active roster to the practice squad.
After not making it through 2017 preseason roster cuts, the Cleveland Browns claimed Williams. He started 2-of-7 games there, catching 9 passes for 84 yards (9.3 avg). The Colts had interest in Williams a time or two last year, and they finally were able to acquire him today.
In his career, Williams has started 2-of-10 career games and has caught 10 balls (20 targets) for 92 yards (9.2 avg). He also has 1 carry for 5 yards.
Williams kicks another once-promising prospect off the roster in Smelter. He played baseball for a few years at Georgia Tech before turning to football. At the end of his final season, he tore his ACL and was unable to participate in pre-draft workouts. Still, the San Francisco 49ers took a chance on him with a fourth round pick. He was waived and signed to the practice squad a couple of times with the 49ers. In his career, Smelter has caught just 1 pass (his only target) for 23 yards.
It appears that his size (6-2, 227), Georgia Tech highlights, his baseball background and the mystery/”what if”-ness of his injuries may have built a little too much hype around Smelter coming into the league.
The Colts have 13 wide receivers on the roster — T.Y. Hilton, Ryan Grant, Chester Rogers, K.J. Brent, Krishawn Hogan, Deon Cain, Daurice Fountain, Steve Ishmael, Kolby Listenbee, James Wright, Seantavius Jones, Dres Anderson and Williams.