The Buffalo Bills’ depth at the defensive tackle position outside Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones struggled and got worse when Jones missed ten games last season due to an injury.
Their backups included Tim Settle (14 tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 58.2 PFF Grade in 17 games and two starts), Jordan Phillips (15 tackles, two for a loss, 2.5 sacks, and a 35.8 PFF Grade in 14 games and nine starts), Poona Ford (nine tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 59.3 PFF Grade in nine games), and Linval Joseph (12 tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and a 38.8 PFF Grade in seven games).
So far, Settle signed with the Texans, Ford signed with the Chargers, and Phillips and Joseph remain free agents.
The Bills understood the importance of having depth at the defensive tackle position by signing Austin Johnson and a former starter.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to sign a 31-year-old defensive tackle
According to Ryan Talbot, the Bills are expected to sign DeShawn Williams.
Deshawn Williams is proof of never giving up
Williams is 31 years old. He went undrafted in 2015, and the Cincinnati Bengals signed him as an undrafted free agent and bounced around on their practice squad for his first three seasons. He played in four games and had two tackles, four QB hits, and 0.5 sacks in 2016.
After spending time with the Bengals, he signed with the Denver Broncos in 2018 for his first stint. Unfortunately, the Broncos released him in 2018 and spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad that year.
Williams signed with the Broncos in 2019 for his second stint, but they released him. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in 2019, but the Stampeders released him in August 2020 and never played a game.
Williams signed with the Broncos in 2020 for his third stint, but they released him. He signed to their practice squad and got promoted to the active roster. He played in 14 games, starting 11, and had 37 tackles, four for a loss, six QB hits, two sacks, one interception, and three pass deflections.
Williams spent the next two seasons with the Broncos, playing in 32 games and starting 23, with 76 tackles, five for a loss, 13 QB hits, 5.5 sacks, and five pass deflections.
Williams spent last season with a new team.
DeShawn Williams spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers
Williams played in 16 games, starting ten in 2023, with 33 tackles, two for a loss, seven QB hits, one sack, one pass deflection, and a 50.0 PFF Grade in 444 (44%) defensive snaps.
Why the DeShawn Williams signing matters
This signing matters because Williams brings depth and starting experience to the defensive tackle position. Williams has started in 44 games over his last four seasons, and it’s beneficial for a backup to have starting experience if a starter gets injured.
Finally, this signing matters because it allows the starters to rest and not play every snap.
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