Starting-caliber offensive linemen are hard to come across in free agency, and there is a distinct possibility that Jonah Williams will be the best player on the open market. After spending the previous three seasons at left tackle, Williams switched to right tackle once the Cincinnati Bengals signed Orlando Brown in free agency.
Williams responded with a solid season, starting all 17 games while recording a 58.5 PFF grade, good for the 59th-best mark out of 81 eligible players. While he may not ever live up to his top-10 draft status, he has proved he can play on both sides of the line at an adequate level, and this will drive up his value.
“It was impressive,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “He showed he’s versatile, which will play well over time with him.”
Jonah Williams Likely To Price Himself Off Bengals In Free Agency
The fact of the matter is that there aren’t enough starting-caliber tackles to go around. Jonah Williams is a fine player, but he could receive a major raise in free agency. There is a case to be made that a reliable tackle is the second-most important position in the game, and teams with young quarterbacks or poor protection will give up just about anything to ensure the man under center has the time he needs to read the field and make the correct decision.
The Cincinnati Bengals should be interested in keeping Jonah Williams from reaching free agency, but they probably won’t have the highest bid. While they do have $61 million in cap space, they also need to re-sign Tee Higgins, clear money for the inevitable Ja’Marr Chase extension and have some extra lying around for when Joe Burrow’s cap hit explodes.
The salary cap ensures that teams who draft well cannot keep all of their homegrown talent, and Jonah Williams is the most likely of the aforementioned names to hit free agency. He’s about to be a wealthy man, and these five teams are most likely to hand over the check.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are going to have a new quarterback in 2024, and if they want him to do better than Mac Jones, they’ll need to improve the offensive line. The interior is solid with David Andrews, Cole Strange, and Sidy Sow, but the tackle position needs some help. Impending free agent Michael Onwenu is more than capable of handling right tackle, but somebody needs to protect the blindside with Trent Brown almost certain to depart. Jonah Williams is the best fit in free agency, and the former first-round pick would probably embrace the opportunity to return to the left side of the line.
Dallas Cowboys
If the Dallas Cowboys don’t go on a deep playoff run in 2024, Mike McCarthy will lose his job. With this in mind, the team will be all-in on the upcoming season, so it makes sense they’d go nuts on a player like Jonah Williams in free agency. Tyron Smith is still fantastic, and it’s hard to imagine Dallas letting him leave in free agency. The other tackle position, however, is a major red flag. After a promising 2022, Terence Steele regressed last year, and the Cowboys don’t have the luxury of seeing if he can recapture his form in 2024.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints do not believe in rebuilding, so they will probably do their usual thing and restructure a bunch of contracts so they can sign big players like Jonah Williams in free agency. The future does not look good for former first-round pick Trevor Penning, and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s knee injury might keep him sidelined for quite some time. Derek Carr does not handle pressure well, so if this team wants to find success in 2024, they’ll need to improve the blocking.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins made it to the playoffs in each of the first two years of the Mike McDaniel Era. However, if they want to make a deep playoff run, they’ll need to improve the offensive line. Terron Armstead needs to prove he can stay healthy, and Austin Jackson is probably better at guard than tackle. Jonah Williams can start the year at right tackle, but if injury strikes again, he can easily slide over to the left side of the line while putting Jackson back at guard.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs probably have the best interior offensive line in the game. Their tackle position, however, needs some help. Jawaan Taylor did not play well during the first year of his massive contract, and Donovan Smith has not been worth the one-year gamble. Taylor will be back for another season, but the left tackle position needs to improve dramatically. With over $23.8 million to spend in free agency, Kansas City should be able to afford Jonah Williams and have him lock down the blindside for Patrick Mahomes.
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