When the 2016 season ended, Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams declined to join the rest of his teammates in cleaning out his locker. He knew that as a free agent there was a chance that he wouldn't be returning, but he wasn't ready to confront that possibility back in January.
"I was trying to give hints," Williams said at a Monday after news conference at the Under Armour Performance Center.
Williams won't be going anywhere. He officially signed his five-year, $52.5 million contract Monday, becoming the highest-paid nose tackle in the sport.
"I'm glad to be home," Williams said.
Williams grew emotional several times during the news conference as he talked about his humble beginnings, his former job of moving around Porta Potties and the impact that late Ravens defensive line coach Clarence Brooks made on his career.
Even with other teams bidding to sign him, Williams made it clear he had no interest in leaving the Ravens, prompting general manager Ozzie Newsome to joke that he wished he had known that before the contract negotiations picked up steam.
"When it had gotten down to it, I couldn't see myself in any color besides purple and black," Williams said.
The Ravens have long believed of the importance of being strong up the middle. It's been a staple of great Ravens defenses with guys such as Tony Siragusa, Sam Adams, Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata.
Williams has become the latest example. Newsome said that the team's top decision makers had a conference call with owner Steve Bisciotti a couple of hours before free agency began last Thursday. They discussed the pending negotiations with Williams.
Later that night, Bisciotti called Newsome and told him to "do what you have to do to get a deal done," Newsome recalled.
The Ravens reached agreement about 24 hours later.
"When everybody knew that he had agreed to the contract, the whole building lifted up," Newsome said.
Williams admitted that the enormity of the deal has left him in tears various times over the past couple of days.
As for the Ravens, they've moved on and are trying to fill other holes on their defense.
"This is a big piece that is filled, literally and figuratively," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "Now, we have to work our way out."
