Rams Insider Breaks Down What Jaguars Are Getting in CB Darious Williams
Few teams made as much noise in free agency's first wave as the Jacksonville Jaguars. While other teams were wheeling and dealing in terms of making blockbuster trades, the Jaguars spent big on the free agency market and brought in seven new starters, with six of them on multi-year deals.
But what will each new player bring to the Jaguars' roster in 2022 and beyond? To find the answers, we go through FanNation's deep pool of talented insiders and reporters from across the NFL to get the skinny on each new Jaguar.
Next up, former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams, who the Jaguars signed to a three-year, $30 million deal, with $18 million in guarantees. Williams, a Jacksonville native, will now join Tyson Campbell and Shaquill Griffin in the Jaguars' cornerback room.
To help give us an idea of what Williams is going to bring to the table as the Jaguars' new starting middle linebacker, we talked to Ram Digest's Cole Thompson to get the skinny on the former Yale product and why he landed in Jacksonville.
1. Why didn't Darious Williams re-sign with the Rams? Was there any interest?
Thompson: There was interest from what we've heard, but there just wasn’t a way to pay everyone. Last season, the Rams used a first-round tender on Williams to keep him in L.A. for a Super Bowl run. They just traded Robert Woods for a 2023 Day 3 selection just to afford Allen Robinson and extend Matthew Stafford. Williams was always going to get paid. At least he leaves the Rams a champion.
2. What does Williams do best?
Thompson: Zone coverage is where he excels. Despite only standing 5-9, he plays bigger than that on the outside opposite former Jags top cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Williams does a great job recognizing routes and breaking on balls to force incompletions. He also rarely allows receivers to beat him with double moves in coverage.
3. What are some of Williams' weaknesses?
Thompson: Let’s just address the small elephant in the room: he’s shorter than most coaches like. Although Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris want him to play on the outside, part of the reason for that was because Ramsey always played opposite the No. 1. In Jacksonville, there’s a good chance he plays the nickel unless Doug Pederson wants to move Tyson Campbell inside. The biggest concern there is Williams rarely lined up inside in both Los Angeles and Baltimore. At 28, that becomes a challenge to learn a different position.
4. Is Williams someone who the Rams will struggle to replace?
Thompson: I think it really is based off what McVay thinks of rookie Robert Rochell. Drafted last season out of Central Arkansas, Rochell is 6-2 and much more physical than Williams in coverage. He was actually one of my “draft darlings” and I’m glad he went to a system with a good defensive mind in Morris. If all else fails, Les Snead has a track record of drafting defensive backs late. Jordan Fuller was a sixth-round pick and he was great in Year 2 before his injury.
5. Was Williams a smart addition for the Jaguars?
Thompson: I think people are looking at his 2020 stats and comparing them to 2021. Williams regressed, but not to a point where he was going to hurt his market. The reality for Jags fans is Williams is a No. 2 cornerback. He’s a great compliment to a an established shutdown corner, but he’s likely never going to be the top guy. Jacksonville added Shaquill Griffin and Campbell last offseason to hopefully be that 1-2 combination. If Williams plays a similar role to that in Los Angeles, I actually love the signing. If he’s the top name, beware buyer’s remorse.
