The New Orleans Saints announced Tuesday evening that they reached an agreement with cornerback P.J. Williams on a one-year contract extension. Williams, just 25 years old, will return to New Orleans as a favorite to be the team’s fourth cornerback in a bid to reset his market ahead of the 2020 free agency cycle. Williams looked ready to cash out in 2019, but an early-offseason DUI arrest evidently spiked his market.
Williams was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and it took some time for his career to get off the ground between a hamstring injury and serious concussion. By the time he entered the starting lineup in the 2018 season, Williams settled in as something of a playmaker when defending the slot in place of the injured Patrick Robinson. He was recognized as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his momentum-shifting interception of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins resulted in a touchdown.
Robinson should resume his starting job in the slot in 2019, but if there’s any lingering issues from his ugly season-ending ankle injury then Williams is a solid option to hold it down. He’s an experienced defensive back and should help solidify the Saints’ depth chart at cornerback behind Robinson, Marshon Lattimore, and Eli Apple.
