WEST PALM BEACH — Miami Dolphins cornerback Trill Williams was potentially primed for a breakout 2022 season, especially with how many players the Dolphins had go down with injury at the position.
But Williams was among the first of Miami cornerbacks to have to miss time. A torn ACL in his left knee suffered in the fourth quarter of a preseason opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cost him his second NFL season.
Ten months later, as Miami completed organized team activities and mandatory minicamp earlier in June, Williams has made significant progress and should be ready for training camp starting in late July.
“I feel fantastic,” Williams said at four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard’s charity softball event benefiting the United Way at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. “I got cleared toward the ending of OTAs. I’m just ready to go back out there and compete and prove myself and show the coaches and everybody else what I can do with my abilities.”
Said Howard of Williams: “He’s coming along good. I don’t know the timetable on his recovery, but he’s looking good.”
Williams made the Dolphins’ active roster as an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse in 2021, but he was only active for one game as a rookie, playing four defensive snaps and 15 on special teams in the finale against the New England Patriots.
Had he not suffered the knee injury in August 2022, he could’ve seen more action in a season where the Dolphins had Byron Jones miss the entire year and Nik Needham suffer a torn Achilles that cut his season short, among other injuries.
Now, Williams can compete among a group that brought in All-Pro Jalen Ramsey, drafted rookie Cam Smith in the second round and returns Howard, Needham, second-year cornerback Kader Kohou, Keion Crossen and Justin Bethel.
“We got some good pieces in there,” Williams said. “Everybody that’s in that room is going to compete, and you want a room where you got guys that are going to compete because it’s going to push you to be the best version of yourself. We have a great corner room, great DB room.”
Williams can become a contributor in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme, which should go away from the large amounts of man coverage played in previous seasons.
“He’s very successful with that defense, and we have the type of DBs for that defense that he likes to run,” Williams said. “It’s a great changeup from the defense we had prior, probably less man. … We got guys like Jalen that played in this type of defense before that can give us tips about how to play the best way possible.”
Williams can also present position versatility, like Ramsey did in the same defense with the Los Angeles Rams. He said he can play cornerback, safety, nickel and dime.
Howard’s softball event
Howard’s event raised funds for the United Way. He said he wanted to do something in South Florida because he’s held other charitable causes back home in Houston but never in the region that has been his professional home since he was taken in the second round of the 2016 draft.
“It’s home for me. I’ve been here going on eight years,” Howard said. “I’ve got a lot of support here. I just want to give a shoutout to the West Palm fans that we have that got to drive down sometimes, can’t come to the games.”
Among Dolphins teammates to attend were quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, receiver Jaylen Waddle, Williams, Crossen and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. Former Dolphins present included running back Duke Johnson, safety Reshad Jones and defensive back Bobby McCain. South Florida product and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the son of the former Dolphins corner by the same name, also participated.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leads off Xavien Howard’s charity softball game by going yard ???? (cones are the wall). pic.twitter.com/1Uz7tN5s9E
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) June 17, 2023
“It meant a lot to me, showing their support that they’re helping me out,” Howard said. “It’s different charities we were looking at. I wanted to do something going toward autism because of my nephew. We’re still looking for charities that we’re going to give out to that are going to be mostly in West Palm and see where we go from there.”
Tagovailoa had the highlight of the softball game that was cut short due to inclement weather. He led it off with a home run.
McCain won the preceding Home Run Derby, but Waddle stood out in the initial round, with a five-homer session.