When healthy, former Miami Dolphins center Connor Williams is probably the best player remaining on the free agent market. Originally entering the league as a guard with the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas product moved to center with the Miami Dolphins and never looked back. While he has yet to make a Pro Bowl, Williams established himself as an elite player at his position over the past two seasons. The former second-round pick finished with the fourth-best and second-best PFF grade among centers in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Connor Williams became a free agent at a rough time. After two seasons of elite play, the Dolphin was supposed to earn a massive paycheck on the open market. Unfortunately, Williams tore his ACL late in the 2023 season, and the uncertainty surrounding his long-term health has prevented teams from offering him a massive payday. However, despite the injury, Bleacher Report believes the Denver Broncos should roll the dice on the talented offensive lineman.
The Broncos could still look at add a starting center to replace Lloyd Cushenberry III. Connor Williams is the most talented player in the free-agent pool, but he’s also recovering from a torn ACL that ended his season.
Broncos Linked to Free Agent Connor Williams, Others Could Join Bidding War
If he’s healthy, Connor Williams makes perfect sense as a free agent for the Denver Broncos. After one year of trying to win with Russell Wilson, head coach Sean Payton decided to tear it all down and build from scratch. Fully embracing the rebuild, Payton selected Bo Nix to be his quarterback of the future. While Nix possesses several traits that could translate to the NFL, nobody can succeed without adequate blocking. Seeing as Lloyd Cushenberry is now in Tennessee, somebody must step up at the center position.
Of course, before signing as a free agent, Connor Williams must get healthy. ACL recoveries have come a long way in the past decade or two, as what was once a career-threatening injury now generally features a nine-month recovery window. However, Williams’ injury is not your typical ACL tear. Roughly two months ago, agent Drew Rosenhaus called it a “significant knee injury” and that his client was focusing on his medical situation before looking for a new team.
For the sake of this article, we’ll assume that Connor Williams will be ready to sign as a free agent at some point in the 2023 season. This isn’t to say he’ll be ready for Week 1 – he almost assuredly won’t be – but he could help a team down the stretch. If the Broncos don’t make a move, these five teams could swoop in with an offer.
Other Potential Fits
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers spent the offseason trying to make life as easy as possible for second-year quarterback Bryce Young. After a disastrous rookie season with no support, Carolina added multiple receiving weapons and two above-average guards in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. However, the center position is still a massive question mark. The team released Bradley Bozeman and has Austin Corbett set to start in Week 1. A healthy version of Connor Williams is a substantially better player who should fortify the offensive line as a free agent. While he won’t guide this flawed roster to a Super Bowl, he could help Young develop into the long-awaited heir to Cam Newton’s throne.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best overall rosters in football, but they could use some help on the offensive line. Trent Williams is still a superstar, but the other four starters range from adequate to active liability. San Francisco lacks the cap space to sign Connor Williams as a free agent right now, but they could wait until midway through the season to strike a deal. Barring something completely unforeseen, this team should be one of the league’s top contenders and could use a player like Williams to finally take home a championship.
Los Angeles Chargers
If Bradley Bozeman is your answer, you’re asking the wrong questions. Jim Harbaugh wants to win games with a tough, physical presence on the ground, but it’s tough to do that with subpar play from the interior offensive line. The Chargers have the cap space to sign Connor Williams as a free agent, and the former Dolphin is a perfect fit for this scheme. With Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater solidifying the tackle position, Los Angeles will have the talent to run the ball inside, outside, and everywhere in between.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills spent the past few months attempting to get under the salary cap. In doing so, they had to part ways with longtime starting center Mitch Morse. While Connor McGovern isn’t the worst player in the league, Williams is a considerable upgrade as a free agent. Buffalo doesn’t have the money for him right now, but they’ll get additional cap space after June 1st.
Baltimore Ravens
Every other team on this list would sign Connor Williams as a free agent to plug him in at center. The Ravens, however, could use another guard. Baltimore lost both of their starting guards last year and have yet to find adequate replacements. While Williams is better as a center, his time in Dallas proved that he can play guard at a high level. The Ravens possess one of the best rosters in football, and Williams could be the missing piece to get this team back in the Super Bowl.
Main Photo: Katie Stratman – USA Today Sports
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