LA Rams 1st rd tender for Darious Williams huge relief

The LA Rams had two choices over the future of Restricted Free Agent (RFA), Darious Williams. Either move mountains of salary cap debt and find the means to tender a first-round qualifying tender offer to the stellar defensive back, or be wrong. After all, Darious Williams was truly one of the best examples of the Rams’ ability to develop strong cornerbacks.

He was claimed off the Baltimore Ravens waiver wire in 2018 and was unheard of for much of that year. But in 2019, the Rams secondary underwent a complete overhaul with the injury to Aqib Talib and the trade away of Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams found the assets to trade for Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey.

But who would play opposite Ramsey?  Well, that decision first fell into the lap of young defensive back Troy Hill. But in 2019, even Ramsey was shaken up, so Williams found himself as a starting cornerback. The LA Rams finally saw him as a starting cornerback as well.

Darious Williams is perfect to pair with Jalen Ramsey

In 2020, It was Williams who filled the outside cornerback slot, allowing the Rams to move Ramsey around the defense to neutralize the best receiver of the opposing offense. That translates into whoever else is on the field getting targetted frequently. Rams DB Darious Williams flourished in that high-volume role.

At just 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, Darious Williams may not appear to be a standout defensive back on paper. Luckily, that was the very reason cited by the Baltimore Ravens for his release in 2018.  But Williams is incredibly athletic, has some of the best-timed jumps in the NFL, and is absolutely fearless on the football field.

He was targeted 72 times in 2020 but allowed just 39 passes to find their mark for an eye-opening completion rate of just 54.2 percent. Meanwhile, he snatched four interceptions through the season as well. He even had a pick-six against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs.

Williams, along with safety John Johnson III and defensive back Troy Hill, are all projected to hit the NFL Free Agency market his year. While the extension of a first-round tender offer is not a 100 percent guarantee for the Rams to keep Williams in horns next year, it creates several layers of protection for the Rams to do so.

LA Rams free agency strategy unfolding

First and foremost, it now gives the Rams the Right of First Refusal. That is, other teams can still submit offer letters to Williams, but the Rams will have seven days to match the offer. Even if the Rams fail to do so, the new team must surrender a first-round pick to the LA Rams, as well as pay Williams whatever they negotiate.

Of course, the first-round tender offer is the most expensive as it offers Darious Williams nearly $5 million for a one-year deal in 2021. And the Rams will need to add that amount to their salary cap savings.

Securing Williams is critical for the Rams as the first step into their 2021 NFL season.  Williams ensures that the Rams’ secondary, though different faces, will be nearly as strong as the 2020 group. It also allows the Rams time to draft or sign defensive backs late in the 2021 NFL Draft and develop them for a year.

Where will the money come from? Who can say at this point? But it’s clear from this action that the Rams believe that they have found the money. It’s likely only taken them the need to move mountains of salary cap debt to do so.

The extension of a first-round tender does not guarantee that the Rams will keep Darious Williams on the roster. But it does mean that the Rams will have the right to choose between a first-round pick or keep Williams in a worst-case scenario. To be honest, that actually sounds pretty good.

Oh, and happy 27th birthday to Darious Williams. How does a $4.7+ million one-year contract sound?