The Los Angeles Rams are upgrading their defense by reuniting with an old friend. According to NFL Media, the Rams will sign cornerback Darious Williams to a three-year contract.
Williams played most of the first four seasons of his career in L.A., signing with the Rams as a street free agent after appearing in just three games with the Ravens, solely as a special-teamer. He worked his way up to becoming a starter by late in the 2019 season, then remained in that position and helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2021.
Following that season, he signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After playing the first two years of that deal, Williams was released by Jacksonville in an effort for the team to add salary-cap space. Williams allowed just a 69.6 passer rating on throws in his direction last season, according to Pro Football Focus, yielding only 7.1 yards per attempt and two touchdowns against four interceptions and 15 pass breakups, the latter of which tied a career-high.
He's on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, but Williams has shown the ability to play both in the slot and on the outside, and he showcased scheme versatility as well. He will play under new defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who was promoted to replace the departed Raheem Morris after Morris took the job as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach.
While Williams did not play under Morris in L.A., Shula was already on staff under previous defensive coordinators Brandon Staley and Wade Phillips, so he and Williams should have at least some familiarity with each other.
