Five-year offensive lineman Daryl Williams has agreed to a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. Williams offers versatility as he started 12 games (five at left guard, four at left tackle and three at right guard) at three different positions last season. And depth of this nature is very much needed in today’s NFL.
Another in a line of #Panthers heading to Buffalo: The #Bills are signing OT Daryl Williams to a 1-year deal, source said. A key starter over the last 5 years for Carolina.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 26, 2020
Daryl Williams Signs With Buffalo Bills
The former fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma by the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 NFL Draft had great success transitioning from the tackle to guard position and should compete for a starting job in training camp this summer. Plus, Williams still has the skill level to move back to the tackle position if needed due to injury. But concerns with his pass-blocking forced the Panthers to move Williams to the interior as he allowed 12 sacks in 2019.
It was a surprise that Williams chose to remain in Carolina last season after missing the 2018 campaign due to injury. Initially, he dislocated his right kneecap and teared his MCL during training camp. Williams rehabilitated the injury only to re-injure himself in the season’s opening game. It was significant enough that it required immediate surgery and forced Williams to placed on the season-ending injured reserve list.
2019 allowed Williams to re-established his skills as an offensive lineman after not playing for nearly a year. He created his own market as Williams showed his versatility by playing a 100 snaps at three positions. Williams is two years removed from his leg injury and has shown to be an effective run blocker once again after his overall play was inconsistent at the start of last season. Let’s not forget that Williams was selected as a Second-Team All-Pro after the 2017 season. Now, he can compete for a starting job anywhere on the line and could become a valuable player on the roster if a sudden rash of injuries occur.
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