Carolina Panthers: Daryl Williams deal a shocking, welcome development

The Carolina Panthers made a surprising move on Wednesday.

The Carolina Panthers were the beneficiaries of another move on Wednesday, and it is one that I certainly was not expecting. According to a tweet from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Carolina Panthers and right tackle Daryl Williams have agreed to a one-year deal. Jourdan Rodrigue  of the Charlotte Observer has reported the deal is worth $6 million.

Williams of course was in line to have a great season last year, but injury slowed him down. Now, he enters this one-year contract as a prove-it type of deal. The monetary figures for the deal have not been disclosed yet.

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This is an interesting move for the Carolina Panthers because it creates a logjam at right tackle. With Taylor Moton playing so well I was happy to let Williams walk just because I was excited to see what Moton could do. At the very least, this gives the Carolina Panthers depth at the position and not only depth, but solid players that you can put at the right tackle spot immediately. Of course, there is always the possibility that Moton could be moved, as I don’t see Williams changing positions anytime soon. He is a former All-Pro player at tackle and that alone should make a position change out of the question. Moton can also play left tackle as well, so the logjam could be non-existent.

The fact that it is a one-year deal is a great move on the part of the organization. If it does not work out, if Williams shows that he cannot come back as strong as he once was, the Panthers don’t have too much invested into it. If he shows that he can still play at a high level following the injury then the Panthers can re-sign him following the 2019 season. Of course, there is always the problem that he may want a higher price tag at seasons end we will deal with that when the time comes.

I am shocked that he agreed to a one-year deal. I thought given the contracts that players are getting and the market value of some of the players at his position, Williams would want a lot more originally. As Rodrigue notes, Williams probably thinks he can get more after this deal is up. In theory, this could be a season where Williams shows what he can do for other teams in order to get maximum value in free agency next year. This deal is smart for both sides because it does not require much commitment from either the Panthers or Williams. If either side decides that this will not work out beyond 2019, then they are not lumped into a huge contract.

This is a great move for Carolina as a gives them depth and security on the offensive line. It will be interesting to see what other moves the team makes free agency continues.