Versatile” Offensive Lineman Expected To Have Major Market
Jonah Williams Proved That He Can Play Both Right And Left Tackle And Could Receive A Massive Contract In Free Agency
Starting-caliber offensive linemen are hard to come across in free agency, and there is a distinct possibility that Jonah Williams will be the best player on the open market. After spending the previous three seasons at left tackle, Williams switched to right tackle once the Cincinnati Bengals signed Orlando Brown in free agency.
Williams responded with a solid season, starting all 17 games while recording a 58.5 PFF grade, good for the 59th-best mark out of 81 eligible players. While he may not ever live up to his top-10 draft status, he has proved he can play on both sides of the line at an adequate level, and this will drive up his value.
“It was impressive,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “He showed he’s versatile, which will play well over time with him.”
Jonah Williams Likely To Price Himself Off Bengals In Free Agency
The fact of the matter is that there aren’t enough starting-caliber tackles to go around. Jonah Williams is a fine player, but he could receive a major raise in free agency. There is a case to be made that a reliable tackle is the second-most important position in the game, and teams with young quarterbacks or poor protection will give up just about anything to ensure the man under center has the time he needs to read the field and make the correct decision.
The Cincinnati Bengals should be interested in keeping Jonah Williams from reaching free agency, but they probably won’t have the highest bid. While they do have $61 million in cap space, they also need to re-sign Tee Higgins, clear money for the inevitable Ja’Marr Chase extension and have some extra lying around for when Joe Burrow’s cap hit explodes.
The salary cap ensures that teams who draft well cannot keep all of their homegrown talent, and Jonah Williams is the most likely of the aforementioned names to hit free agency. He’s about to be a wealthy man, and these five teams are most likely to hand over the check.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are going to have a new quarterback in 2024, and if they want him to do better than Mac Jones, they’ll need to improve the offensive line. The interior is solid with David Andrews, Cole Strange, and Sidy Sow, but the tackle position needs some help. Impending free agent Michael Onwenu is more than capable of handling right tackle, but somebody needs to protect the blindside with Trent Brown almost certain to depart. Jonah Williams is the best fit in free agency, and the former first-round pick would probably embrace the opportunity to return to the left side of the line.
Dallas Cowboys
