Potential Bills Free Agent: DT Corey Williams

by Brian Galliford on Feb 8, 2008 7:35 AM EST in Buffalo Bills Opinion

Is Williams the answer to run D problems? (View Images)

A couple of days ago, the readers of Buffalo Rumblings put the finishing touches on a Buffalo Bills needs list that the team needs to tackle starting a little less than a month from now. As you may recall, defensive tackle ranked with top priority on said needs list; naturally, as we transition into free agent bios, we will start at defensive tackle.

Packers DT Corey Williams is the elite DT name on the market this off-season, considering the fact that the Titans' Albert Haynesworth is almost certainly going to be slapped with the franchise tag. Williams played on one of the more talented defensive lines in the league last year and played so well that he earned a starting job by season's end. The 27-year-old is set to turn a 7-sack, break-out 2007 campaign into a big pay day this off-season.

Acme Packing Company's Take
I shot a few questions about Williams to Brandon, head blogger at SB Nation's Packers blog, Acme Packing Company, and he was very kind in providing us with a little first-hand insight into Williams' career as a Packer. He also provided his thoughts on Williams' free agency in a post last week. Here are his thoughts on Williams:

What would you say is more of a strength for Williams - defending the run or rushing the passer?

He's good at both. Like most defensive linemen, you don't notice him on every play, but a couple of times a game he'll shed his blocker and make a nice stop on a running play in the backfield or get some pressure on the QB. He's over 300 lbs. so he holds up well inside, with some pass rushing skills as a bonus.

With the Packers having so much interior depth along the line, what are the chances that Williams is re-signed by the Pack?

I can't see the team keeping him. He didn't get consistent playing time until DT Johnny Jolly got hurt mid-season. Jolly was a 6th round pick in 2006 that barely played in his rookie season, but grabbed the starting job in training camp and didn't let go until he got hurt. Unless GM Ted Thompson is thinking Williams has moved ahead of Jolly - and 2007 1st round pick DT Justin Harrell - he won't give him starter's money in a free agent year that is weak at defensive tackle. Plus, DT Daniel Muir, who had a great 2007 training camp but couldn't get any playing time last season, is a similar player to Williams and would provide depth.

How big was Williams' role in Green Bay's line rotation last year? How important was he to Green Bay's success defensively?

He wasn't essential, but he he was in the rotation all season long, started down the stretch, and the defensive line was one of the team's strengths. Once he got more playing time, the run defense improved while the pass defense started to struggle. That likely didn't have too much to do with Williams because the Packers played against four inferior offenses (Oakland, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit) down the stretch. The pass defense struggled because the ends weren't generating much pass rush, at the same time CB Charles Woodson got hurt, while Williams was still able to generate some pressure on the QB. Williams also made some plays and had a sack or two during the two playoff games.

Discussion Time
I'd like to thank Brandon once again for taking the time this early in the off-season to answer some questions about a player he may not be cheering for in the near future.

What I liked hearing from this interview was that even while the Packers' pass defense was struggling a bit, Williams was still playing par for the course during that stretch. Too many times, poor play from Buffalo's front four is the cause of our pass defense woes; we could really use a player that plays well no matter what's going on around him.

I'm also intrigued by the fact, obviously, that the Packers' run D improved when he was in the lineup. That's exactly what the Bills need from a free agent tackle; we have some pass-rushing options inside, but our run defense up the middle is weak. From the sounds of it, Williams is a player who would help out Buffalo immensely against the run, and also could be used on pass downs as well. He sounds like the perfect most-downs tackle that the Bills need - his presence would allow the Bills to rotate in John McCargo (run/pass like Williams), Larry Tripplett (pass) and Kyle Williams (run) with ease.

I'd love to hear your thoughts not only on Williams and his impending free agency, but how you'd like to see this bios/interviews structured as we move forward. Have at it, folks.

Packers DT Corey Williams
Year	G	Tk	Sk	INT	FF	FR
2004	12	24	1	0	1	0
2005	12	26	2	0	0	0
2006	16	34	7	0	0	0
2007	16	35	7	1	3	0
TOT	56	119	17	1	4	0

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Comments

I like Williams BUT...

I'm not sure he is worth the kind of money, that he will undoubtedly sign for. Williams has shown signs of turning into a great player, but he's not there yet. I'm just worried about giving a guy Warren Sapp money, until he proves he's as good as Warren Sapp.

That is why I answered no in the poll question.

There is no doubt the Bills need DT help, and Williams is the best DT on the free agent market, I'm just not sure I want to over spend to get him.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 8:46 AM EST reply actions

Money

We traded McGahee and Spikes last year for draft picks and made sure Losman wouldn't reach his playing time incentives this season. Our starting Qb makes 3rd round draft pick money. There's no reason we shouldn't put up starting DT money for a player like Corey Williams. These salaries look astronomical because we're not used to them yet, but honestly, "Dockery money" is just the norm for a solid starter on his 2nd contract with the latest collective bargaining agreement. Spend the money in Buffalo, Wilson.

Nick (Bensalem, PA)

by Nick BensalemPA on Feb 8, 2008 9:14 AM EST up reply actions

Williams Money

I've said before that I like to have a strong Defense, and I've also said that I strongly feel a team's blood and guts is the offensive and defensive lines. If the Bills are going to overspend, then let it be at those two positions, I can live with that. I just don't want to see Williams turn into another Vonnie Holliday.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed. If we learned anything from the SB,

We shouldn't hesitate to go out and be aggressive about our DLine. Last year was OLine. If we're going to overspend, which we already did at DE, let it be at DT.

by Kumario! on Feb 9, 2008 1:42 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Money

Williams has shown signs of turning into a great player, but he's not there yet.

Weren't we saying the same thing last year about Dockery? That he could be a great guard, but he probably wasn't yet worth the Steve Hutchinson money he got? Detroit gave Cory Redding a 7-year, $49 million deal; that's also what Dockery got. The track record is there for the Bills to overspend on young, talented, up-and-coming players. I think it's a very real possibility that the team could give him that type of money if he's high on their list.

Create a free account to join in the discussion, Bills fans!

by Brian Galliford on Feb 8, 2008 9:03 AM EST reply actions

Wow

I forgot Redding got that much. I just wrote I expect Williams to get Dockery like $$$. Scratch that - it'll be more.

by krytime on Feb 8, 2008 9:07 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Money

We did say that last year about Dockery, and as good as he was for the Bills last year, I still don't think he played up to the value of the contract. If he had he would have gone to the pro-bowl.

You're right the history is there, and if Williams is a Bill next year, they will most likely have overspent to get him. I'm just not sure I would want to do that.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 9:09 AM EST up reply actions

Structure

I would say, keep them grouped by position, and post them in order of the needs list.

So do all the DTs then the WR so on and so on.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 9:04 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, I agree with that too.

But, I'd also only add a couple of guys to each position, and then bunch up the under the radar guys on one day.

Most important thing though, is to keep the comments coming from the home town bloggers.

Here's a tough one for you, but it could be done. What about getting a hold of the guys agent, and see what he says? This is the time of the year they earn their keep, and they're up around the clock promoting there guys. I bet you could get a quick interview, or at least a few blurbs that would be helpful...

by krytime on Feb 8, 2008 9:12 AM EST up reply actions

Replies

- It's going to be very difficult to do all the DTs, all the WRs, etc. in that order simply because I'm interviewing my colleagues. These are very busy people, so I can't really wait to write about all the DTs when I've got 4 other interviews queued up and no D-Tackles to write about. It's a good thought; I just don't think I'm going to be able to pull it off.

- All of these posts are going to be databased right next to the Mock Draft Tracker. That page will be grouped by position to make it easily accessible once we get a few more of these posts up.

- I'll look into contacting player agents, but obviously I can't make any promises. I'm not interviewing Drew Rosenhaus - Mr. Ocho Cinco is keeping him busy these days anyways. :)

- Anything as far as content that you'd like to see added? Or are the interviews enough for you guys? There are more Corey Williams angles we could take, for instance...

Create a free account to join in the discussion, Bills fans!

by Brian Galliford on Feb 8, 2008 6:25 PM EST up reply actions

First

I really like the fact that you (Brian) are adding comments from the players home town blogs. Can't imagine a better place to get a perspective on a guy..

Now, back to the question at hand. Would Williams be worth it? No doubt, he'd get a contract making him the richest player in Buffalo sports history. I'm gonna guess it'd be somewhere around 6/7 years, for about 7/8 million a year. That's a lot of loot. And, throwing around that kind of money eventually offsets the salary structure the Bills have worked so hard at getting back in place

But, DT, at least in mind, is the number one priority this season. Are there other guys out there who could do what Willimas can? Quite possibly. Someone even suggested there is a RFA named Cole on the Pack that might be another alternative. Some have mentioned Randy Starks.

I have the feeling Buffalo will spend big loot this year on one player, and one player only. If that's going to be the case, then I say do so at this position. The only way to get this guy will be to wow him. If he makes the rounds, we won't get him. Get him, get him early, and the rest of the off season will be so much easier...

[My second letter to the Bills this year]

Dear Bills,

If you sign Corey Williams as a FA, I promise I will renew my season tickets.

Thank you.

by krytime on Feb 8, 2008 9:05 AM EST reply actions

Why

Why do you think Williams is worthy of the deal you laid out (6/7 yrs $40-$50M)? Some of the best in the league have signed for much less than that. Williams is not an upper tier DT. He's a very good player, but no team should break the bank for him.

by Kurupt on Feb 8, 2008 9:42 AM EST up reply actions

Bottom Line

is that once Haynesworth is franchised, Williams becomes the top free agent DT available. He's going to get a very large contract based solely on that fact. If the Bills want him, they'll need to pay him Dockery money. That may be the one thing that keeps Williams out of a Bills uniform.

Create a free account to join in the discussion, Bills fans!

by Brian Galliford on Feb 8, 2008 10:06 AM EST up reply actions

Who?

Who are some of these players that have signed for less since March of 2007 when the new agreement went into place? I'm not saying your wrong, I just can't think of any.

Nick (Bensalem, PA)

by Nick BensalemPA on Feb 8, 2008 10:07 AM EST up reply actions

Well

that is more than likely true. I'm not certain of many DT's signing since last year. But does that make giving Williams all that dough a smart move? Here's a few I've found:

Fat Pat signed a 3 yr $22M deal. He's one of the best in the game and a Pro Bowler.

Ty Warren got 5 yrs $35M, but again, I feel he's better than Williams.

Kevin Williams got 5 yrs, $33M. Pro Bowler.

That's about it. Corey Williams is not the player the 3 above are and I would be extremely hesitant to give him a deal like they've gotten, let alone a Dockery type deal.

To me, I wouldn't feel comfortable offering anything more than 5-6 yrs for $30-$32M. A lot of people have played up Williams' ability and there's no doubt he's talented, but he's not the proven commodity that everyone makes him out to be. Even the Packers blogger has made reference to something similar.

I still hope we get him, but it's somewhat absurd to think he'd deserve such a huge deal.

by Kurupt on Feb 8, 2008 10:54 AM EST up reply actions

DTs

When DT has been a gaping hole on this team for 3 years, I believe it's smart to sign a quality player to fill it. My parents bought their first house for $40,000 in 1982, but I bought mine for much more than twice that price in 2005. Does that make me Dan Snyder to their Billy Beane? No, it's just the reality of buying something you need to survive at the time that you need it.

Nick (Bensalem, PA)

by Nick BensalemPA on Feb 8, 2008 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

RE: Williams money

As I said before, If I'm going to overspend, I would rather do it on the Offensive and Defensive lines. But I'm finding it very hard to disagree with you on this K. He hasn't even been the starter for a whole year, and wouldn't have been at all if not for an injury to the immortal Johnny Jolly.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 10:08 AM EST up reply actions

Good point

It is fair to point out that Williams was beaten out for a strating spot by 6th round pick Johnny Jolly in the fall.

by kaisertown on Feb 8, 2008 1:15 PM EST up reply actions

Williams

I'd love to have him here, but it better not be at anything more than $4-5M per season, if that.

This was his first year of consistent playing time and he didn't even win the starting job in camp. He's a good player, but some people are making him out to be a perennial Pro Bowler and sure thing. I don't want to see us overspend on a guy who's not one of the best in the league. I'd rather spend it on a CB and bring in a Randy Starks type DT.

With that said, I hope we can get him here for that reasonable price. Look around the league, there are very few DT's with contracts of more than $5-6M per year. The ones that have those deals also have the Pro Bowl pedigree. I don't understand why Detroit gave Redding the deal they did, but Williams is no where near that kind of priced player.

by Kurupt on Feb 8, 2008 9:37 AM EST reply actions

Agreed

Williams is a nice player, he would fit a void that we have, and provide a much better rotation for our DT's. But, to think that breaking the bank for him would be worth it...not a chance. The thing about it is, with Dockery he is such a humble, hard working guy.....a.k.a. HIGH-CHARACTER, which is why I think the Bills targeted him early and got it done. They feel comfortable giving Dockery, Schobel, Kelsay big $$$ cuz they are guys that will have no off-field issues and they do their job.

I am not sure where I stand on the FA market right now. I love what we can do in the draft this year. And that is where we need to focus our efforts to finagle and maximize our draft by moving up and down and maybe making some trades to bring in some players as well.

How about the RFA market? Any possibility we could steal someone with all our cap room, as long as they aren't a high tender of a 1st and a 3rd? That would be worth doing a piece on Brian? (if you want something to do....:)

MARVelous

by MARVelous on Feb 8, 2008 11:16 AM EST reply actions

RFAs

There aren't many big names who are RFAs this year. Derek Anderson will get all the attention. But Michael Boley, the LB for the Falcons and Colts TE Ben Utecht are two guys to keep an eye on.

by kaisertown on Feb 8, 2008 1:51 PM EST up reply actions

Paying Corey Williams

I haven't seen or heard anybody who says that the Lions were SMART for giving Redding seven years and $49 million. Redding's 2006 and Williams's 2007 were similar satitistically, does that now mean that the Bills should follow the Lions and give Williams a huge contract? Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea of copying Matt Millen?

There is no question that Williams has plenty of talent and would be a huge help to the Bills. I also will not dispute, that Williams should be paid well. I'm just more than a little unsure about giving 7 years and $49 million to a guy, who hasn't been a starter for a full year yet, wasn't the starter, until Jolly got hurt, and hasn't proved he is a dominate force at DT.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 12:18 PM EST reply actions

I don't see the connection

Just because Redding had a poor year (and I'll take your word for it because I saw one full Lions game all season) after getting paid, doesn't mean Williams will...Ralph Wilson has to be one of the greatest salesmen of all time. He puts a perpetually mediocre (or worse) product on the field for an entire decade, spends far below the salary cap, hires the cheapest coaches with the shakiest track records of success, continues to sell out game after game and cries poor at the same time. If that weren't enough, these same fans that he's duped are just as frugal about his money as he is...I'm not saying to spend 25% of the salary cap on a good player like Corey Williams. I'm just stating that "good" starting caliber DTs now cost more than Bruce Smith made in his entire career. That's just the reality that Wilson needs to accept. If our marketing guru GM looks at Williams as the best fit for our defense in free agency, the going rate for a DT shouldn't factor into getting him or not. Wilson has money to burn and frankly, it's time he burn a little of it on the field.

Nick (Bensalem, PA)

by Nick BensalemPA on Feb 8, 2008 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

Here is the connection

I don't care how much money Ralph has, it could be $50 dollars or $50 Billion dollars, I don't want him to spend like Dan Snyder. Smart contracts, are better than signing a player to a huge deal then cutting him 2 years later because he didn't work out.

Is the going rate higher now? yes.
Do I expect Williams to sign for peanuts? No.
Would I love to see Ralph spend money to improve this team? No Question.
Do I want him to throw money around, and over pay and look like a fool? NO.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

Eh Em

When Ralph Wilson starts paying assistant coaches $2-3 million/year and trading away all of our draft picks and grossly overpaying for guys like Andre Carter, then bring Daniel Snyder into the conversation. But if the Bills sign Corey Williams for a lot of money, Ralph is still nowhere near Snyder.

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Feb 8, 2008 10:55 PM EST up reply actions

All right bad analogy

How about Jerry Jones?

Ralph will never be as bad as those guys but, I don't want him to pick up their bad habits either.

Man do I miss #78

by sireric on Feb 8, 2008 11:17 PM EST up reply actions

Yep Im in Love,

major man crush:)

Do you BILLieve?

by NYTXFAN on Feb 8, 2008 4:48 PM EST reply actions

I think everyone is correct.

I just read through these posts, all of 'em. And not once did I say to myself, "Oh, that guys is an idiaot," or "What the f^k is he thinking?"

I can't even single in on one comment. For once, I can't even argue with anyone's comments - they all have truth to them. Damn...

I'm glad I'm not the one to have to make this decision (although I do agree with an assertion of Brian's that the Bills should be compensatig us all for doing their work!)

by krytime on Feb 8, 2008 7:25 PM EST reply actions

Monay monay monay............. monay

A lot of speculation going on here about players' worth, comparisons and subjections.... the bottom line is how much is he worth to OUR football team. You can't look at this retroactively, comparing new contracts to old ones. If we give Corey Williams a big contract, he is not going to handicap the Bills (even if he flops). If we don't sign Williams because he costs too much, then the Bills aren't going to spend ANY significant money this offseason due to the utter lack of talent/need for the available players. People are always cryin that Ralph is too cheap, but when it comes time to spend some money to get a guy, people are like "whoa! he's not WORTH that much." If you take a look at the other FA DT's and the DT draft class this year, Williams sure as hell is worth "Dockery money." We are one player, like Williams, away from having one of the deepest DLines in football. We desperately need that inside pass rush. If we sign him, some cheap veterans, and our draft picks... then we are playoff contenders (say your Hail Mary's we can stay healthy).

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Feb 8, 2008 10:52 PM EST reply actions