The Lions released defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, per a team announcement. Williams joined the team on a one-year, $3.5MM contract this offseason, but he was not longer needed after the acquisition of Damon Harrison.
Williams started eleven games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans last year, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. He was strong against the run in 2017, but in Detroit he’s looked more like a matador than a defensive lineman. Williams currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 78 overall defensive tackle in the league with a subpar score for run D.,He didn’t fill the traditional stat sheet much either with six tackles in six games.
Given his pedigree and experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 sets, Williams figures to draw interest from teams in need of defensive line help.