GOOD SIGNING;’ Buffalo Bills Bolstered Their Defensive Line By Signing a 31-Year-Old Former Starter…
Outside of DaQuan Jones and Ed Oliver, the Buffalo Bills’ defensive tackle depth suffered and worsened after Jones missed ten games in the previous campaign due to an injury.
Jordan Phillips (15 tackles, two for a loss, 2.5 sacks, and a 35.8 PFF Grade in 14 games and nine starts), Poona Ford (9 tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 59.3 PFF Grade in nine games), Linval Joseph (12 tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 38.8 PFF Grade in seven games) were their backups. Tim Settle had 14 tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 58.2 PFF Grade in 17 games and two starts).
Thus far, Ford has signed with the Chargers, Settle with the Texans, and Phillips and Joseph remain free agents.
The Bills signed Austin Johnson and a former starter because they recognized the value of depth at defensive tackle.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to sign a 31-year-old defensive tackle.
Williams is thirty-one years old. After being undrafted in 2015, he was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent and spent his first three seasons bouncing around on their practice squad. In 2016, he saw action in four games and recorded two tackles, four quarterback hits, and 0.5 sacks.
He joined with the Denver Broncos in 2018 for his first professional season after playing for a while with the Bengals. He unfortunately was cut by the Broncos in 2018 and was a member of the practice squads of the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
In 2019, Williams signed a contract to play for the Broncos for a second season, however they released him. He got a contract with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019, however the team cut him loose in August 2020 and he never made it onto the field.
For his third tenure, Williams signed with the Broncos in 2020, however they later cut him. He was added to their practice squad and later made an active roster member. With 37 tackles, four for a loss, six quarterback hits, two sacks, one interception, and three pass deflections, he appeared in 14 games, starting 11.
Williams played in 32 games, starting 23, accumulated 76 tackles, five for a loss, 13 quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks, and five pass deflections during his two seasons with the Broncos.
DeShawn Williams spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers.
With 33 tackles, two for a loss, seven quarterback hits, one sack, one pass deflection, and a 50.0 PFF Grade in 444 (44%) defensive snaps, Williams participated in 16 games, starting ten in 2023.
Why the DeShawn Williams signing matters.
Williams adds depth and starting experience to the defensive tackle position, which makes this signing significant. Over the course of his last four seasons, Williams has started 44 games, and in the event that a starter is hurt, it is advantageous for a backup to have starting experience.
Last but not least, this signing is significant since it gives the starters a break from playing every play.
