Following the end of his Jaguars tenure, Darious Williams is set to head back to Los Angeles. The Super Bowl-winning corner is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Rams, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Williams had a very brief tenure with the Ravens during his rookie season in 2018, but midway through that campaign he joined the Rams. The former UDFA remained with the team through the 2021 campaign, by that point having established himself as a full-time starter. Williams landed a three-year, $30MM pact with the Jaguars in 2022, but Jacksonville elected to take $11.5MM in cap savings by releasing him last week.
The Alabama-Birmingham alum had four interceptions in 2023, and during his two-year Jags stint he racked up 35 pass deflections. That ball production understandably led to outside interest once Williams was let go, including a visit with the Giants. Rather than joining a fourth career team, he has elected to return to a familiar environment. Raheem Morris was in charge of Los Angeles’ defense when Williams was last with the Rams, but Morris’ replacement (Chris Shula) was with the team at that time as well.
Williams, 30, will join a Rams defense which ranked 20th against the pass in 2023, faring better than many expected in the absence of Jalen Ramsey. Los Angeles only posted 10 interceptions, however, and better production in that regard would go a long way in ensuring a repeat of last year’s postseason appearance. Williams will look to pick up where he left off with the Rams in 2024 and beyond.
Los Angeles made a pair of major investments on offense yesterday, agreeing to deals with guard Jonah Jackson as well as tight end Colby Parkinson. Those additions will eat into the team’s spending power once they become official (as early as tomorrow afternoon), as will this Williams accord. The latter will nevertheless be a welcomed addition is he can remain an impactful starter for years to come.