Dan Williams sees same quick turnaround of Cardinals in 2015 Raiders

A favorite term when speaking of the NFL is ‘parity'. It basically means the worst team can beat the best team ‘any given Sunday' and the worst team can become the best team very quickly... and vice versa. Such was the case for the Arizona Cardinals who flipped the script two seasons ago to go from 5-11 in 2012 to 10-6 in 2013 and then 11-5 last season.

Raiders new defensive tackle, Dan Williams was on those teams and was part of the turnaround. He experienced firsthand how things can come around with the right direction. He sees that in Oakland.

"I came here yesterday, I got to meet the coaches," said Williams over conference call. "I got to meet the G.M. [Reggie McKenzie], the head coach [Jack Del Rio] and the defensive coaches, they really factored into my decision. Just talking to them and the way that they believe they can turn the team around.

"The biggest thing is it kind of reminded me how when [Arizona Cardinals Head Coach] Bruce Arians first got there in Arizona two years ago, excited, they believe in the players that they have here and the players they are going to add. They believe we can turn this thing around and we can do it in a hurry."

Williams was a key part of that turnaround in Arizona. The big nose tackle was the run clogger for one of the best defenses in the NFL. They were so dominant they were able to overcome the loss of two quarterbacks to still finish the seasons at 11-5 and make the playoffs.

Last season the Raiders added players with championship experience to the team in the hopes of instilling a winning attitude. It didn't work. Last season was Williams' first trip to the playoffs and he saw it fall apart and his defense unable to make up for the offense being led by the worst rated starting quarterback in the NFL.

What the Raiders need now are believers who have experienced pulling a team up from the bottom to the top in a short amount of time. It's that experience that has him believing there is no reason this team should have to write off another season to rebuilding. That they are capable of winning right away.

"A lot depends on buying in and just seeing if everyone does it we can definitely have great results," Williams continued. "I've seen what has happened when a new head coach comes in and everyone buys in. It doesn't have to be a rebuilding year or we only one two games last year, let's win five. We've got a new coach, we've got new people, a new system, let's win right away instead of waiting two or three years or something. Just trying to change the mindset a little bit and just trying to get off to a good start."

One of the common themes from the Raiders new free agent crop is the positive ‘vibe' they get from the Raiders coaching staff. Several of them spoke of how excited and inspired they were by the staff and how it contributed to their wanting to sign with the team.

We'll wait and see if that feeling lasts or if it translates into wins. Williams believes it can. He knows it's possible. And hey, adding a talent like him on the field helps a lot too.

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