Roster Update: The #Saints and @PjWilliams_26 have agreed to terms! ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/X4MNHVwpao
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 2, 2020
The New Orleans Saints and free agent cornerback P.J. Williams agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension on Thursday, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The team announced the agreement shortly after, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that it is a fully-guaranteed $2 million deal.
It’s a big get for the Saints, who will add the 26-year-old Williams to a defensive backfield stocked with talent. Williams started eight games last season while sitting out two weeks with a suspension related to an offseason DUI charge. He was on the field for 798 snaps in the regular season, trailing only Eli Apple (932) and Marshon Lattimore (819) in total snaps played.
Where Williams will line up is questionable. He won the starting slot cornerback job last season over Patrick Robinson, who returned to the Saints for 2020 after agreeing to a pay cut. Safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Malcolm Jenkins should also each compete for opportunities in defending the slot. If Williams doesn’t start right away, he offers extensive experience behind Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins as the next-man-up should either miss time. While most of his NFL action has been spent in the slot, Williams moved outside for a few games last year and also filled in at safety as injuries ravaged the secondary.
Considering how thin the Saints were previously at cornerback — special teams ace Justin Hardee and XFL pickup Deatrick Nichols were the top backups prior to Williams’ return — this should be seen as a great move. Even if Williams doesn’t play often, the depth chart is in much better shape with him back in the fold. It also decreases the need for another cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft, though his presence shouldn’t prevent the Saints from selecting a rookie if the value is right. There isn’t a team in the pass-happy NFL with enough defensive backs.
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