Redskins hosting former Titans nose tackle Sylvester Williams on visit

Sylvester Williams was released by the Tennessee Titans after the start of free agency. Now, he is visiting with the Washington Redskins.

Well, the Redskins front office at least deserves credit for one thing. They appear to be finally addressing the long-term need that the squad has had at the nose tackle position.

After hosting the recently released Johnathan Hankins on Monday, many Redskins fans were hoping that the team would ink him to a deal. Many were calling for the team to do a deal with Hankins, and not let him go until a contract was signed. However, by the end of the day, Hankins left Redskins Park without a deal, and the search for a new nose tackle continued on.

The wait for a new candidate didn’t last long. According to NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, the Redskins are hosting for Titans nose tackle Sylvester Williams on a visit.

Williams (6-foot-3, 313 pounds) is a fairly solid option, but he does have his flaws.

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Williams was a first round pick by the Denver Broncos in the notoriously bad 2013 NFL Draft. In his first few years with the Broncos, Williams helped to anchor a defense that was one of the league’s best. However, he never really took that next step as a player. At best, he became a decent run stopper. That’s part of why the Broncos declined his fifth year option and that’s also why he lasted just a single season in Tennessee.

Simply put, Williams is a decent lineman. He doesn’t rush the passer very much, as evidenced by his 5.5 sacks in five seasons. His only value comes from his ability to stuff the run, and even in that category, he is merely okay. Last season, Williams had only 20 total tackles for the Titans. He was good at occupying blockers, but he wasn’t a high impact player. He was rated the No. 67 defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus, so that means he is just an average player at best.

However, that might be why the Redskins are bringing him in. They could be looking for a cheaper option at nose tackle than what Hankins could have provided. Williams is older than Hankins by three years (29) and not nearly as good of an overall player. He figures to make much less than the $5.5 million average annual value that he received from the Titans last year, so he could be a cost-effective option that allows the team to target a guy like Da’Ron Payne in the first round of the draft as a successor.

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This appears to be the route that the Redskins are taking right now. Given that they need money to work on extensions with Jamison Crowder, Brandon Scherff, and Preston Smith, the team will need to save a bit here and there to do so. That said, they might be better off just selecting a rookie defensive tackle as opposed to adding another decent defensive lineman to a rotation that is full of them. It will be interesting to see if they end up offering Williams any sort of short term, bargain bin deal.