A healthy version of Connor Williams is easily the best interior offensive lineman left on the free agent market. After spending his early years as an above-average guard, the former second-round pick moved to center with the Miami Dolphins and quickly established himself as one of the best at the position. In 2022 and 2023, Williams was the fourth-best and second-best center in the game, respectively, according to PFF grading.
Seeing as interior offensive linemen like Robert Hunt received massive paydays, it’s safe to assume that Connor Williams would have broken the bank as a free agent if he were healthy. After all, the center is one of two players who touch the ball on every single snap, and the position also involves clearing run games and ensuring the pocket doesn’t collapse on the quarterback. Spotrac believed he was worth $67 million if healthy, but he’ll never come close to sniffing that money this year.
On December 11th, the center tore his ACL in a 28-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans. While this injury is always season-ending, players can recover in time for Week 1 of the next campaign. Unfortunately, this might not be the case for Connor Williams, as agent Drew Rosenhaus recently gave a concerning update on the free agent.
Free Agent Connor Williams Won’t Sign Soon After “Significant” ACL Tear
Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Louis Riddick questioned whether Williams’ ACL tear could potentially end his career. Rosenhaus recently went on Miami’s WSVN television station to dispel those rumors, but he doesn’t sound optimistic about Connor Williams signing as a free agent any time soon.
“So Connor had a pretty significant knee injury. Without getting into his private business, it was a significant knee injury. So, he’s taking his time with his rehab. I don’t think his immediate plan is to sign with the Dolphins or any team right now. I think he’s focused on his medical situation — getting healthy — and then see where he stands at that point. So, it’s not going to be any time soon that we see Connor Williams signing with an NFL team.”
This isn’t the update anyone wants to see. While Rosenhaus made it sound like Connor Williams is trying to get back on the field, it’s anything but a guarantee. This is another cruel reminder that the NFL unofficially stands for “Not For Long,” as one snap may have permanently sidelined one of the best centers in the game.
However, for the sake of argument, let’s say Connor Williams can recover and sign as a free agent. While this probably won’t happen until August at the VERY earliest, some teams should be willing to roll the dice on him. The former second-round pick would have received a multi-year deal, but he’ll probably have to settle for an incentive-laden one-year deal.
Possible Fits
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have already lost three starting members of the offensive line, and they don’t have the money to replace all of them. Tyler Linderbaum is one of the better centers in the game, so Connor Williams won’t be replacing him as a free agent. However, Williams started his career as a guard and could slide over to replace the departed Kevin Zeitler or John Simpson. The Ravens are in their Super Bowl window, and Williams offers the highest upside of any player in their price range.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have a superstar offensive tackle in Trent Williams, but the rest of the offensive line needs some work. Jake Brendel is a top-32 center who can start in a pinch, but you’d like to have a better option, especially for a run-heavy team like San Francisco. Once again, Connor Williams shouldn’t break the bank as a free agent, and he should only bolster this powerful running attack.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints cleared up enough cap space to go after Connor Williams as a free agent. With Andrus Peat still unsigned, the team could be looking for an upgrade at both left tackle and left guard. Seeing as Derek Carr struggles against pressure, they’ll need to bring in someone capable of keeping interior rushers at bay. Williams or Erik McCoy will play center while the other moves over to guard. However it’s settled, both players should be more than capable of handling their roles on the offensive line.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers face the unenviable task of trying to replace Corey Linsley. While the team signed Bradley Bozeman, he’s nobody’s idea of an ideal starter. Connor Williams would be a massive upgrade as a free agent, especially when you consider that Jim Harbaugh is the head coach. The former Michigan legend loves to run the ball and play a hard-nosed style of football, and you need a good center if you want to establish that type of physical element.
Main Photo: Katie Stratman – USA Today Sports
