Jets Urged to Sign $14 Million OL, Could Replace Starter
The New York Jets might not be done adding protection for Aaron Rodgers this offseason.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report was tasked with picking one move that every NFL team still needs to make ahead of the 2024 season.
For the Jets, he urged them to sign free-agent offensive lineman Connor Williams. Williams, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins on a $14 million contract.
“The Jets had offensive line issues last season and while they made several moves during the offseason to address that need, but it couldn’t hurt to bring in one more interior offensive lineman. If he’s healthy enough, Williams could potentially start over Joe Tippmann at center to give the team a more seasoned veteran as it pursues a Lombardi Trophy,” Holder explained in a column posted on Saturday, May 25. “Granted, the 27-year-old has a long injury history and might be available because he suffered another torn ACL last season. However, he had an 86.5 grade from Pro Football Focus before going down and that was in Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has similar West-Coast concepts as Nathaniel Hackett’s system.”
Williams Is Certainly Worth the Dart Throw at This Stage of the Offseason
The former Texas product brings with him plenty of NFL experience. He originally entered the league back in 2018 as the No. 50 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft. Over the last six years, he has spent time with both the Dallas Cowboys and the Dolphins.
During that run, Williams appeared in 83 games and made 77 starts. Over the last two seasons, he has received all of his snaps exclusively at the center position (1,553 snaps).
However, between 2018 and 2021, Williams had experience at multiple offensive line positions. From 2019 through 2021, Williams was a left guard exclusively for the Cowboys (2,807 snaps).
During his rookie campaign in 2018, Williams did his best Alijah Vera-Tucker impression. Williams got one snap at left tackle, 505 snaps at left guard, 180 snaps at right guard, and even got two snaps at tight end, per Pro Football Focus.
