Three Panthers free agents the Redskins could target after hiring Ron Rivera
3. OL Daryl Williams
The Redskins have a number of key players on the offensive line set to hit free agency. In fact, four of their top seven options are hitting the free agent market. And that doesn’t include Trent Williams, who could return to the team with Bruce Allen gone, but there is no guarantee that will happen.
If the Redskins lose a couple of those free agents or if they want to invest in a potential upgrade at the swing tackle position, Daryl Williams could be a sensible option for the team. The former fourth-round pick of the Panthers was once one of the better right tackles in the league, but after missing most of the 2018 season with an aggravation of a preseason injury where he dislocated his kneecap and tore an MCL.
Upon returning to the Panthers in 2019 on a one-year deal worth $6 million, Williams played a role as a starter for the squad. That said, he wasn’t occupying the right tackle position. He only played 44 snaps there during the season. Instead, he mostly played at guard logging 409 snaps at left guard and 214 at right guard. He also played 169 snaps at the left tackle position.
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So, in essence, Williams was more of a utilityman up front. He played where the team needed him to and with Taylor Moton in the fold at right tackle, that ended up being the guard positions.
Williams didn’t have his best season in 2019. He was only penalized twice, but he gave up a whopping 12 sacks on the season which ranks first among NFL guards. For that reason, he may not generate a ton of interest as a starter and he could be a buy-low target for a team that needs offensive line help, like the Redskins.
Williams won’t turn 28 until just before the season begins. And with nearly two years between him and the injury that derailed his 2018 season, he could play much better than he did last year. And with his ability to play inside and outside, the ‘Skins could use him as a super-sub who would be a big-time upgrade over Geron Christian at the swing tackle position.
The Redskins may not go after Williams depending on how they address the needs they have on the offensive line. They could opt to bring back Donald Penn as a potential swing tackle option if Trent Williams returns. If not, Daryl Williams makes sense and if he has a good rapport with Ron Rivera, perhaps he’d come to the nation’s capital.