ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Bills came into the offseason knowing they needed to surround Josh Allen with more talented pass catchers. Plenty of attention will be paid to what they do in free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft, but the Bills already got a jump start. On Monday, they signed D’haquille “Duke” Williams to a futures contract.



A futures contract guarantees Williams nothing more than a chance to compete for a roster spot during the spring and summer. But it’s hard not to be intrigued by a player who was once the No. 1 junior college recruit in the country and piled up a CFL-leading 1,579 receiving yards for the Edmonton Eskimos last season. In comparison, Zay Jones led the Bills last season with 652 receiving yards.



Whether Williams can come anywhere close to matching that production in the NFL remains to be seen, but those who have coached him don’t doubt his talent. Williams took a winding road to get to the Bills. He was...