Top OL coming off major injury finally lands with new team

At long last, Connor Williams has landed in Seattle. The veteran offensive lineman has reached an agreement with the Seahawks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s a one-year deal that could be worth up to $6M. The contract contains $3M in guaranteed money.

The veteran has been connected to the Seahawks for several weeks. The two sides overcame their first hurdle when Williams passed a physical, a notable milestone considering the lineman is only about eight months removed from suffering a torn ACL. The signing stalled when the two sides started negotiating a contract, with Williams asking for more than the Seahawks could offer.

While agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated yesterday that a deal was imminent, Williams added a slight wrinkle to the saga by taking a visit with the Ravens. That may have been the final push the Seahawks needed, as the two sides agreed to a deal less than 24 hours after Williams’ reported trip to Baltimore.

There was recent uncertainty surrounding Seattle’s center depth, with the likes of Nick Harris and Olusegun Oluwatimi struggling to take hold of the opportunity. The Seahawks seemed to signal an impending move yesterday, when they moved on from Michael Novitsky.

Williams will now slide atop the depth chart…when he’s ready to take the field. The veteran tore his ACL in December, but Rosenhaus expressed optimism that Williams will be available for Week 1. The injury came at the worst possible time for the impending free agent, as he would have been among the top linemen on the market.

After spending his first four season as a starting guard in Dallas, Williams inked a two-year deal with Miami in 2022. He ended up starting all 17 games at center that season, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the fourth-best player at his position. Williams finished 2023 in the No. 2 spot, and the veteran previously graded as a top-15 guard during his time with the Cowboys.

With Seattle lacking depth in the middle of their offensive line and Williams hoping to reset his value, this pairing seemed like a perfect match. After a few weeks of uncertainty, the deal has finally come to fruition.