It’s not simply about signing a player with proven quality at a good age.
Yes, Connor Williams’ PFF grade (86.5) put him second among centers prior to his week-14 injury last season. Yes, he’s consistently graded well over the years and is no flash in the pan. If it wasn’t for the injury, his agent Drew Rosenhaus is probably right. He would’ve received a big pay-day — either by the Dolphins or on the free agent market.
It would seem to be quite the no-brainer therefore for a team like the Seahawks to secure his signature. This is a team with question marks at every position on the offensive line. They desperately need talent and quality. It feels like we’ve been saying this for a decade.
However, the injury does exist. It was deemed to be serious enough to place doubts on his career. That Williams has recovered enough, according to Rosenhaus, to potentially play in week one is quite a dramatic turnaround and one that might not be rooted in reality.
Improbable fixes in August are rare. If the league had no concern about Williams he would’ve been signed before now. Or, there’d be more than the two revealed teams (Seattle and Baltimore) pursuing him.
I appreciate it’s not quite the same situation but I recall in 2019 how everyone, myself included, was hoping the Seahawks sign Ziggy Ansah. Seattle’s pass rush wasn’t good enough. They’d just traded away Frank Clark. Ansah was available after the draft due to a shoulder injury. He was still at a good age. The Seahawks signed him and it looked like a great way to replace Clark even if it was just for one year.
Ansah was never healthy. He was anonymous on the field. It was a waste of money.
A repeat of this kind of situation would be an issue. Seattle’s cap situation next year means every dollar counts at the moment.
Despite this, I’d still take a chance on Williams. I’d probably do what it takes to get him, in fact.
This is a gamble worth taking because of the situation the Seahawks find themselves in. The team will no doubt have done its homework on the injury situation. He reportedly passed a medical.
It’s been a massive problem for years in Seattle, trying to fix the offensive line. They’ve struggled to find good players in the draft, their veteran additions rarely progress beyond average or mediocre and there’s just been too much chopping and changing. Every year it’s a different center. Every year they’re trying to plug new holes.
John Schneider went on the record this year saying interior offensive linemen are overpaid and over-drafted. He has a point to be fair. Look at Damien Lewis’ contract in Carolina. Whether they’re over-drafted is a bone of contention. The Seahawks have passed on good centers over the years, although admittedly there isn’t a steady stream of brilliant guards entering the league.
If they do find it difficult to draft or sign good interior linemen, they have to consider taking a chance on a player like this who can help them get around the GM’s resources concern.
With Williams’ age (27) and production so far in his career, combined with Seattle’s inability in recent years to fix their O-line, this feels like a hand worth playing. Take a chance on the recovery. If it doesn’t work out and does end up being a waste of money, at least they took a gamble to fix this particular issue. Better that than some of the other expensive gambles they’ve taken in recent years at far less important positions.
If Williams works out, he’s young enough to solidify a position on the O-line for a few years. If Charles Cross takes a step forward, that’s two players to build around. It’d be a start, if nothing else.
Yes, there’s a chance Williams won’t ever be back to his best or won’t be able to stay healthy. If that happens, I’m guessing most people will be able to live with the consequences.
And if that means going a little bit out of your comfort zone to stave off the Ravens to get this done, so be it.
