Saints re-signing P.J. Williams is cause for relief

The New Orleans Saints failed to retain crucial members of the secondary in free agency, but they made up for some of their losses by re-signing veteran P.J. Williams.

Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Williams ranked first and second on the team respectively in snap counts in 2021, but it’s a good thing NOLA kept Williams, who played just under 50 percent of defensive snaps.

The 28-year-old defensive back recently signed a one-year deal with the Saints and is coming off a season where he nabbed a career-high three interceptions. Williams started just five games last year, but with Jenkins and Williams gone, and with Marcus Maye still returning to full health, Williams could see much more playing time in one of the league’s top defenses.

New Orleans Saints retain P.J. Williams as a key part of secondary in 2022

Obviously, the team would have liked to get former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, and they still could by the start of the season. At the very least, though, Williams adds much-needed insurance to the backfield and offers a more reliable plug-in than, say, recently signed Daniel Sorensen.

Williams should effortlessly slide back into the defense, having spent six years adapting to Dennis Allen’s scheme and playing 85 games in total in his Saints career. Initially drafted as a corner, Williams has since converted to safety with slot coverage duties and has plenty left in the tank as he enters his seventh year in the league.

Hopefully, re-signing Williams isn’t the only move NOLA makes to boost its secondary this season, as the team will need one or two more reinforcements to ensure it can keep its top-10 ranking this year.

Between patching up their secondary and making improvements to their offense, the Saints have their hands full this offseason. Bringing back Williams, though, is nothing short of a wise move that the team won’t regret in 2022.