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The Buffalo Bills will kick off their 2013 rookie minicamp on Friday, and after signing seventh-round tight end Chris Gragg on Thursday night, it also looks like they'll have at least one more signing to announce today. Fourth-round safety Duke Williams hit Twitter last night to announce that he'd signed his rookie deal:
The deal is done.. @buffalobills #BillsMafia #godisgood twitter.com/Duke27_/status…
— Duke Williams (@Duke27_) May 10, 2013
Williams, the No. 105 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, will sign a contract very similar to last year's No. 105 overall pick: his new teammate, linebacker Nigel Bradham, signed a four-year, $2.564 million deal with a $464,260 signing bonus last spring.
Hailed as a prospect for his versatility and physicality, Williams did not put up huge numbers at Nevada, but may wind up playing a lot as a rookie for the Bills. New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine values versatile safeties that can drop down and cover receivers one-on-one; that skill, plus the aforementioned toughness and tackling ability, could make him a useful asset for Pettine sooner rather than later.
Buffalo still has six more draft picks to get under contract, but whether or not a draft pick has signed won't matter this weekend; all of the team's rookies will participate in this rookie minicamp.