Seattle Seahawks to sign cornerback Cary Williams
By Keith Myers
Multiple media outlets are now reporting that cornerback Cary Williams will sign with the Seattle Seahawks once free agency begins. Williams played with the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
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Seattle actually double-dipped at the position on Monday, getting both Williams and Will Blackmon. It is safe to say that cornerback is no longer Seattle’s biggest offseason need.
Williams fits the description of a prototypical Seattle cornerback. He’s long, physical, plays the press well and had great straight line speed. His tape is similar to that of Byron Maxwell and Tharold Simon.
In fact, his 2014 numbers stack up well to Byron Maxwell’s numbers:
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It is an interesting perspective considering that Maxwell was paid top dollar and the Seahawks were able to acquire Williams on the cheap. Those numbers are surprisingly similar. Williams was actually targeted less often and gave up a lower percentage of completions.
Of course, stats don’t always tell the entire story. I’ll dive into a full tape study of Williams in a few days once free agency slows down. In the mean time, it appears that the guys at Pro Football Focus actually think they are very equal as well.
PFF Grades:
— Keith Myers (@MyersNFL) March 10, 2015
Byron Maxwell: 0.8 in coverage, -0.2 overall
Cary Williams: 0.9 in coverage, -1.0 overall
The Seahawks have now accounted for Maxwell leaving with the Williams signing. They’ve also accounted for the Lane injury by signing Blackmon. That’s an incredibly productive beginning to the free agency period as they were able to fill their biggest roster need.
The best part is that they didn’t break the bank to do so. Neither player was given a big contract, which gives the Seahawks room to make additional moves in the coming days.
Up next for the Seahawks is to find help at tight end, wide receiver and along the offensive line.
Next: 49ers offseason should have Seahawks salivating
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