New Orleans Saints bolster cornerback depth, bring back P.J. Williams

The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms with cornerback P.J. Williams, who will return on a one-year deal worth about $2 million.

General manager Mickey Loomis announced yesterday that the New Orleans Saints will be bringing back P.J. Williams. The return of the four-year pro will mark yet another young Saint that the team has managed to hold onto for over half a decade.

6-foot, 196 pounds, Williams was a third-round pick back in the 2015 NFL Draft. Playing his collegiate ball at Florida State, Williams has developed into a staple of this defense, having started 23 games over the last four seasons.

He’s not a superstar, lockdown cornerback, but he’ll be an excellent third-string back, giving way to Janoris Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore. Williams posted 44 tackles and 3 tackles for loss last season.

He also notched one interception and four pass defends in 2019. Williams played 75 % of the team’s snaps.

With the secondary being of the team’s focal points coming into the offseason, the Saints opted to retain Williams while also helping their cause by restructuring and extending Jenkins’ contract, freeing up additional cap space to bring in players like Emmanuel Sanders.

The Saints are now about six deep at cornerback and will look to make it one of their strengths this coming season. It should’ve been all along with superstar phenom Marshon Lattimore on one side of the field.

It still wouldn’t be overly shocking to see them address cornerback in the upcoming draft. Lattimore will need paid after his fifth season in the league and Jenkins is certainly past his prime although locked up the next few seasons.

With a player like Trevon Diggs potentially on the board, the Saints could opt to bring in more young talent. However, for the short-term future, Williams’ spot as the team’s No. 3 corner is locked up.

This was a great move by Loomis. At $2 million, it’s a win-win for both Williams and the Saints.