Super Bowl champion Darious Williams is a free agent. The 28-year-old former undrafted cornerback has played for the Los Angeles Rams since 2018—after the Baltimore Ravens waived him weeks into his rookie campaign.
Williams played alongside superstar Jalen Ramsey to form a dominant secondary for the Rams in their championship season. Williams appeared in 14 games (13 starts) for the Rams, missing three contests due to an ankle injury.
The Rams could be challenged to re-sign Williams since the club will enter the offseason well over the salary cap. Spotrac estimates Williams at an annual average salary of $14.6 million, which is likely out of the Rams’ spending budget.
Assuming Williams leaves the Rams, what are the best destinations for the cornerback? Let’s look at his best free agency landing fits.
Darious Williams Free Agency Landing Spots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to add reinforcements in their secondary this offseason. 12-year veteran Joe Haden, who has played the past five seasons with the Steelers, is in all likelihood done in Pittsburgh. Once a star cornerback, Haden was underwhelming in coverage last season.
Looking to upgrade at corner, the Steelers should target Williams in free agency. An every-down player for the Rams last season, Williams compiled 71 tackles (three for loss), but did not muster an interception in 2021. However, he only allowed four touchdowns all season in coverage:
Williams yielded only a 62% completion rate on passes targeted his way, allowing 6.6 yards per target and 10.7 yards per completion. Adding Williams would dramatically improve the Steelers’ cornerback situation.
2. New England Patriots
Cornerback J.C. Jackson may have played his final game with the New England Patriots. The 26-year-old Pro Bowler is coming off a career year, registering an NFL-best 23 passes defensed and eight interceptions. Despite earning Second-Team All-Pro honors, the unrestricted free agent could be suiting up elsewhere. Jackson recently sounded off on the Patriots for not offering him the contract he feels he deserves. He made it clear it’s time for him to cash in on a long-term deal:
A cheaper alternative to Jackson would be for the Patriots to nab Darious Williams in free agency. Williams possesses a ton of speed, which would be a crucial for a New England defense if it loses Jackson.
Williams is by no means the caliber player of Jackson, who has accrued 25 interceptions over the past four seasons, the most by any player since 2018. However, Williams is only a year removed from his dominant 2020 campaign, which included four interceptions:
Williams would fill a massive hole for the Patriots, assuming they do let Jackson walk in free agency.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
Williams has a chance to reunite with the coordinator who coached him during his career-best season in 2020. Brandon Staley, the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach, served as the Rams defensive coordinator in 2020. The Staley-led Rams defense ranked first overall in yards and points allowed. Williams played a major role in the Rams’ top-ranked defensive unit.
The Chargers are expected to pursue free agent cornerbacks this offseason. Chris Harris Jr. started at corner the past two seasons, but hits the open market this offseason. He struggled in 2021 and likely will not be retained. Williams is the more talented player right now and is better suited for Staley’s defense.
The Chargers have an advantage over almost every NFL team in courting Williams—they hold the second-most salary cap space entering the 2022 offseason. They have the money to spend, and would be wise to use some of their resources on signing Williams to a long-term contract.
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