Mike Williams has been attempting to get a contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for more of the offseason. Negotiations have come and gone in waves as the team continues to stress that the two parties are in constant communication but nothing has come from it yet. Williams waited through the free agency period and then waited through the draft to get his contract extension, but so far patience has not paid off.
Williams took to Twitter to express his overall frustration with the team and lack of movement on his new deal. Laying on the caps lock, Williams wrote, "I FEEL LIKE MY FAMILY DON'T WANT ME. HAVENT I BEEN EVERYTHING YOU WANTED AND MORE WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR YALL...AND WE SAY FAMILY FIRST." That is pure anger in 140 characters.
"Family" is one of head coach Greg Schiano's buzz words with the team. Williams obviously is not feeling much like family these days with Tampa Bay. The wide receiver is set to make $1.4 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Extension talks began last month with the team and it was reported that things were progressing quickly. Now thanks to the tweet from Williams, Tampa Bay does not seem to be in a hurry to lock down their wide receiver.
Williams has proved to be worth the money for the Buccaneers. In his first three seasons for the team, he caught 193 passes for 23 touchdowns on the inconsistent offense. He paired nicely with Vincent Jackson last season so it is hard to see why Tampa would risk losing him to the open market when Williams is essential to the growth of quarterback Josh Freeman. Last season alone, Williams recorded 996 yards and nine touchdowns.
Williams is not the only one in search of a new contract. Freeman is also approaching the final year of his current deal. Tampa is not negotiating an extension with the quarterback at this time, ready to let him play out the final year of his deal before determining his future. If Freeman puts together an excellent season, he will command more money than he would this summer, essentially hurting the Buccaneers' finances.
Williams will likely have the same thing happen to him. A strong season means more money and the risk that another team will make a grab at Williams in free agency. Slowly emerging as a top target, Williams would get a lot of attention. Tampa Bay would be smart to get him a deal soon and teach him how to turn off the caps lock feature on the computer.