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The rich just keep getting richer. An already nasty Seattle Seahawks defense simply got even better on Thursday evening, as the team has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with defensive tackle Kevin Williams.
The one-year deal is reportedly worth “in excess” of $2 million.
Formerly part of the “Williams Wall” in Minnesota with the Vikings for his entire career, the soon to be 34-year old Williams waited until now for the exact deal he wanted to come to the surface. He had been thought to be considering retirement if some team didn’t meet his contractual demands, but the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks saw major value in a still productive defensive lineman.
Seattle already did well to secure defensive lineman Michael Bennett to a long-term deal earlier in the offseason, but bringing in the versatile Williams ensures their already stout defense will remain a top-five unit. Williams does more than just help lock up the ground game, however, as he has also shown to be an effective pass rusher throughout his career.
Williams was actually dominant in that area early on in his career, initially starting off his career with the Vikes with back to back 10+ sack seasons. Minnesota eventually brought on Jared Allen and other pass-rushing specialists to help Williams and the line, however, which inevitably took pressure off of Williams. He then focused primarily on stuffing the run, but still racked up a solid 37.5 sacks between 2005-2013.
A warrior in the trenches, Williams has missed just five games in his entire 11-year career and will find a role in Seattle’s rotation. His exact role is anyone’s guess, however, as their d-line is already ridiculously deep with Brandon Mebane leading the way. Tony McDaniel and Jordan Hill round out the depth from the top, while second-year defensive lineman Jesse Williams has the ability to be an elite run-stuffer in the near future.
Williams should be slated to compete with McDaniel for one of the two starting spots in the middle of Seattle’s base 4-3 system. His acquisition could end up potentially making one of Hill or (Jesse) Williams expendable.
