Tag: Connor Williams

Mike McDaniel says he’s not concerned with Connor Williams’ snapping struggles

Unfortunately, they don’t have a ton of options at this point.

This offseason, the Miami Dolphins made a concerted effort to improve their offensive line after it was one of the worst units in the league in 2021.

That resulted in former New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead and former Dallas Cowboys left guard Connor Williams joining the Dolphins roster during free agency. While Armstead will be remaining at his primary position, Williams has been practicing at center, a position that he’s never played meaningful NFL snaps.

During training camp, Williams has had his struggles in getting the ball snapped to his quarterbacks. The snaps aren’t going over their heads, but they’re off enough to be noticeable, and they’ve thrown off the timing of plays a number of times.

Prior to Friday’s session, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about his confidence in Williams’ snapping ability, and the coach backed his player.

“I would be concerned if he didn’t work at it,” McDaniel said. “That is, even with guys that have been doing that for an extended period of time, shoot, Alex Mack last year, that is something that when you’re asking players to do various things post-snap out of the shotgun, you have to kinda learn how to negotiate the accuracy of those. I would be concerned if he wasn’t working at it. I’m very very confident in how far he’s come. He’s earned that because of his ownership of the position that he’s trying to go and take, and I think the rest of the team is pretty confident that that’s not necessarily an issue. There are a lot of snaps that are on target as well.”

It’s not just the work, it’s also the experience of the coaching staff.

“What’s cool is we have a plethora of offensive line coaches, as you guys know,” McDaniel said. “I have first-hand experience with Mike Person, as a player, doing the same thing. Those are things that aren’t lost, that you’re thinking about. It’s been cool. Little known fact, (offensive coordinator) Frank Smith was a center for Ben Roethlisberger in college. We have a good amount of center experience in our coaching staff, and that’s something that players can really lean on and is very helpful. That’s why I haven’t really been that concerned about it because I do have history with moving guards to center and understand the little bumps in the road along the process.”

With former Dolphins starting center Michael Deiter sidelined with a foot injury, the only other true center option for Miami is Cole Banwart at this moment.

Williams will continue to work on the most important aspect of his new position, but if he can’t adjust and do it consistently, many will wonder if it’s just a matter of time before he’s back at guard.

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Dolphins QB, OL and specialist ratings in Madden NFL 23

Only one player from the groups made it into the top 10 for their position.

With the end of another NFL offseason in sight, football fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the newest installment of the Madden video game series, Madden 23.

After the release of every other position group’s ratings, EA Sports, the publishers of the game, finished the week by putting out quarterback, offensive line and specialist ratings on Friday. The Dolphins only had one player in any of those groups make it into the top 10 at their position.

Here’s a look at most of Miami’s quarterback, offensive line and specialist ratings for launch and how they compare to other players at the same position:

  • Terron Armstead – 93 overall (No. 4 LT)
  • Thomas Morstead – 80 overall (No. 7 P)
  • Tua Tagovailoa – 75 overall (t-No. 22 QB)
  • Teddy Bridgewater – 75 overall (t-No. 22 QB)
  • Jason Sanders – 75 overall (t-No. 17 K)
  • Robert Hunt – 74 overall (t-No. 16 RG)
  • Connor Williams – 73 overall (t-No. 18 C)
  • Liam Eichenberg – 68 overall (t-No. 30 RT)
  • Solomon Kindley – 68 overall (t-No. 33 RG)
  • Austin Jackson – 67 overall (t-No. 41 LT)
  • Greg Little – 67 overall (t-No. 41 LT)
  • Michael Deiter – 64 overall (t-No. 43 C)
  • Robert Jones – 63 overall (t-No. 49 LG)
  • Kellen Diesch – 62 overall (t-No. 52 LT)
  • Skylar Thompson – 57 overall (t-No. 80 QB)
  • Larnel Coleman – 57 overall (t-No. 69 RT)
  • Adam Pankey – 54 overall (t-No. 77 RT)

EA Sports also announced the team and unit ratings. Miami’s offense was rated a 79, the defense was rated an 84 and special teams was rated an 80. Overall, the team was given an 83.

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2022 Dolphins positional preview: The offensive line is improved, but there are still questions

There are still two questionable spots.

The 2021 edition of the Miami Dolphins got one of the worst offensive line performances among all of the teams in the NFL.

Between inexperienced coaches and poor effort, the line wasn’t able to protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or get any push for the team’s running game. As a result, the offense struggled to string drives together, keeping them from a postseason birth for the fifth straight season.

With the Dolphins ready to hit the field for training camp near the end of the month, it’s as good of a time as any to assess the roster. We’ve touched on quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, so, today, we’re focusing on the big men up front.

Dolphins OL Connor Williams says that he’s expecting to play center

We’ve seen evidence of this in the practice sessions.

When the Miami Dolphins signed Terron Armstead and Connor Williams this offseason, many believed that the duo would hold down the left side of the line with the pair playing most of their games at left tackle and left guard, respectively.

However, since the Dolphins took the field, Williams has been actually getting his opportunities at the center spot. A position he’s received no snaps at in a regular-season game to this point and that was expected to belong to Michael Deiter.

With Williams getting more chances at center this offseason, he was asked about where he expects to play this year, and he offered some clarity.

This would likely allow Austin Jackson to continue playing left guard, as he did for most of last season. Liam Eichenberg would then likely be the team’s starting right tackle, leaving Deiter as the backup center.

Obviously, this would provide the offensive line with solid depth in the interior, as Deiter can play guard and center.

It wouldn’t be fair to judge the decision before the Dolphins take the field against defenses in competitive settings, but there will be a number of people who will be skeptical of this move.

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4 things to know about new Dolphins guard Connor Williams

Here’s what fans should know about him.

The Miami Dolphins have added a number of talented players on the offensive side of the ball to this point in the offseason, highlighted by Terron Armstead signing on to become the team’s left tackle.

However, before that happened, one of the first moves that the Dolphins made was a push to bring in left guard Connor Williams, who had spent the first few years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, and the two sides got a deal done.

Now, with Williams expected to hold down Miami’s left guard spot, here’s what Dolphins fans should know about one of their newest linemen.

Breaking down new Dolphins OL Connor Williams’ contract

The cap hits are very reasonable.

Before the Miami Dolphins signed Terron Armstead, arguably the top free agent this offseason, their biggest acquisition on the offensive line was agreeing to a deal with left guard Connor Williams.

Williams, 25, signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. With the struggles that the Dolphins had on the left side of the line, the former Texas Longhorn, along with Armstead, will likely be asked to stabilize the unit that has been an issue in recent years.

According to Over the Cap, Williams’ contract is expected to pay him roughly $14.04 million over two seasons with $8.54 million guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus ($2.75 million) and guaranteed salary ($5.79 million). He’ll also receive a $2.75 million roster bonus in 2022 and per-game roster bonuses in 2022 and 2023 up to $1 million.

The cap numbers are reasonable on this deal. In 2022, Williams will have a $5.66 million cap hit. That would be the ninth-largest cap hit among all left guards. In 2023, his $8.38 million cap hit is set to be seventh at the position, and there will likely be more contracts that pass him before then.

At 25 years old, a short-term deal could work out for both the player and the team. If Williams performs well, he would hit the market again at 27 and could cash in (potentially with Miami) as the salary cap jumps again. If he doesn’t, the Dolphins only have to put up with him for two seasons.

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Grading the Dolphins’ moves during the legal tampering period

The Dolphins agreed to five contracts during the window.

The 2022 league year has opened for the NFL, meaning teams are now allowed to officially sign free agents to contracts.

During the league’s legal tampering period, the Miami Dolphins agreed to terms with five players that could help them be better in 2022 and beyond, including quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, running back Chase Edmonds, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., guard Connor Williams and special teamer Keion Crossen. All of these deals were able to be finalized after 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

While there will surely be more contracts to come, here’s what we think about all five moves that were agreed to before free agency began.

Cowboys G Connor Williams headed to Miami on 2-year deal

The 24-year-old started 51 games over 4 years in Dallas, but a league-high number of penalties likely sealed his fate with the Cowboys. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys’ transformation at offensive line will continue. Guard Connor Williams will reportedly sign with the Miami Dolphins, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who cited a source in a Tuesday tweet announcing the news.

Williams, a second-round pick for Dallas in 2018, graded well overall in his play- he appeared in all 17 games for the Cowboys this past season- but led the entire league in penalties. He started 51 games over four seasons, but a total of 14 holding calls in 2021 will be what most Cowboys fans remember of Williams.

Now the 24-year-old out of Texas will look to start a new chapter to his football career in Miami with rookie head coach Mike McDaniel.

The Cowboys have also been shopping right tackle La’el Collins and are said to be ready to release him if a trade partner is not found.

Early reports indicate that Williams will be inked to a two-year contract with the Dolphins for $14 million, with $7.5 million of it guaranteed.

Versatile wideout Cedrick Wilson will also be leaving Dallas for Miami next season.

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Dolphins to sign guard Connor Williams

There’s the improvement on the line that fans have been waiting for.

The Miami Dolphins are staying active early in the league’s tampering window.

After agreeing to deals with Teddy Bridgewater, Chase Edmonds, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Keion Crossen on Monday, the Dolphins attacked a position of need on Tuesday.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Miami has agreed to a two-year deal worth $14 million ($7.5M guaranteed) with former Dallas Cowboys guard Connor Williams, however, the deal can’t be finalized until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, the start of the 2022 league year.

Williams, 24, has spent the last four years with the Dallas Cowboys, starting 51 games during his career. Last season, he was the 11th-ranked guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus with a 75.2 grade. However, there have been concerns about penalties in recent years, as he had 15 called on him in 2021.

At this point, he’s obviously an upgrade over their other options, but Williams will have to clean up his play if he wants to be considered a strong player at his position.

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4 free agent guards the Texans should consider

The Houston Texans have decisions to make across the roster. Here are four free agent guards who could help the offensive line.

The Houston Texans have many needs to consider as they upgrade their roster for the 2022 season.

New offensive line coach George Warhop seeks to get the Texans’ yards per carry up. Houston generated 3.4 yards per carry last season, the lowest in the NFL.

“The one thing that you’re always going to look at, I’m going to look at is what is our yards per carry,” Warhop told reporters on Feb. 22. “I want that to be above 4.3, 4.4, somewhere in there.”

Here are four free agent guards who could help the Texans improve along the interior of their offensive line. All contract figures are according to Spotrac.