Marcus Williams (S)

Panthers Planning S Addition

April 5th, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers made a number of lucrative additions on the defensive side of the ball early in free agency. That effort included a three-year deal for Tre’von Moehrig, but more can be expected at the safety position.

Moehrig enjoyed a strong walk year in 2024, his fourth and final campaign with the Raiders. The 25-year-old posted 104 tackles, adding a pair of interceptions, 10 pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Moehrig has established himself as a notable contributor near the line of scrimmage in particular, and a workload along those lines in Carolina would not come as a surprise.

The Panthers’ depth chart also includes veteran Nick Scott and 2024 UDFA Demani Richardson. Bringing in one or more contributors through free agency or the draft could bring about competition for a starting gig or depth in the secondary. Especially after losing Xavier Woods on the open market, adding a deep safety to complement Moehrig’s skillset would be a feasible approach.

“We’ll see what happens there,” general manager Dan Morgan said when speaking about the safety position (via the team’s website). “The numbers aren’t where they need to be there, but we’ll get there, and, you know, we just gotta stay patient, stay with the plan, and let it happen. But in terms of a ball hawk on the backside, yeah, we’re going to look for somebody, we’re going to look for players to take the ball away. Who that is, I don’t know, but we’re actively pursuing and we’ll be aggressive when the time comes.”

Carolina recently hosted free agent Julian Blackmon on a visit, and Morgan noted the same is true of Marcus Williams. Blackmon remained a Colts starter while playing on a one-year deal in 2024, while Williams was benched midway through the season before expectedly being released by the Ravens. A deal with one of those – or another experienced option like Justin Simmons – would add a starting-caliber option to the mix.

The Panthers are one of many teams which have conducted a pre-draft visit with Nick Emmanwori. The South Carolina product is seen as one of the two first-round safety prospects in this year’s class (Georgia’s Malaki Starks being the other), although taking him eighth overall would be seen by many as a reach. In any case, the Panthers are worth watching with respect to adding further at the safety spot before the season begins.

Ravens Release S Marcus Williams

March 12th, 2025 at 7:42pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have officially announced the release of veteran safety Marcus Williams, per club staff writer Clifton Brown. The two sides agreed to a restructure back in January to help facilitate this exit, and now it’s come to fruition. The move will have a post-June 1 designation, as expected.

Following a five-year run in New Orleans, Williams was one of the league’s top free agents in 2022. He inked a five-year, $70MM deal with the Ravens that year and naturally faced high expectations upon arrival. The early returns were promising, as Williams intercepted three passes in his first two games in Baltimore and ultimately finished the campaign as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best safety out of 88 qualified players.

That said, the formerly durable defender was limited to 10 games in 2022 due to injury, and he missed six more in 2023. His health woes — along with, perhaps, the depatures of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson — conspired to tank Williams’ 2024 showing.

Williams was at less than full strength for much of last year, though his starting spot was not in jeopardy early in the season. Poor performance and missed assignments forced the Ravens to bench him as part of their midseason defensive adjustments, and from Week 11 onward, Williams appeared in a grand total of two snaps.

Baltimore’s defense performed much better after the benching, which made the decision to cut ties with Williams — who finished as PFF’s second-worst qualified safety in 2024 — even easier. The club will move forward with Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington at the safety spots, and the 28-year-old Williams will seek an opportunity to rebuild his stock and return to the form that made him a hot commodity not too long ago.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Ravens Plan To Release Arthur Maulet

March 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens are planning to release veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

The move will save $2.25MM against the 2025 salary cap with $250k of dead money, per OverTheCap. The Ravens will save an additional $2.1MM by releasing Marcus Williams with a post-June 1 designation, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. That move has been expected since the team revised his contract in January following a rough season from the veteran safety, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Williams’ release will leave $6.7MM in dead money in 2025 and 2026.

Both Maulet and Williams played significant roles in the Ravens’ league-leading defense in 2023, but injuries to the former and regression by the latter limited their contributions in 2024. Multiple stints on injured reserve sidelined Maulet for most of the season with just three appearances and 72 defensive snaps. Williams started 10 of the team’s first 11 games, but played just two snaps for the rest of the year.

The Ravens also dealt with struggles from veteran safety Eddie Jackson, forcing an overhaul to the secondary for the second half of the season. Marlon Humphrey took up a full-time role in the slot, and Kyle Hamilton moved away from the line of scrimmage to play a more traditional safety role alongside Ar’Darius Washington.

Baltimore had high hopes for Williams when they signed him to a five-year, $70MM contract in 2022, but injuries in his first two years gave way to clear regression in his third. He was productive when healthy in 2022 and 2023, but inexplicably struggled in 2024. The Ravens had a new defensive coordinator in Zach Orr, but his scheme largely mirrored that of Mike MacDonald, under whom Williams excelled in the previous two years. He will now hit free agency looking for an opportunity to rebuild his value and earn another multi-year deal before he reaches 30 years of age.

Maulet joined the Ravens in 2023 after being cut by the rival Steelers. He appeared in 14 games as a slot corner and earned a two-year, $4MM extension after a solid debut season. A strong training camp in 2024 was negated by multiple lower-body injuries, which will force Maulet to sign a ‘prove-it’ deal this offseason.

Ravens, S Marcus Williams Agree To Restructure; Post-June 1 Release On Tap

January 12th, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marcus Williams‘ third campaign with the Ravens has not gone according to plan. The veteran safety has found himself a healthy scratch for multiple weeks, and he is on track to see his contract terminated in the coming offseason.

Williams and the Ravens recently agreed to a restructure, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap reports. A release taking effect after June 1 was the likely outcome of this situation once Williams fell out of the team’s plans on defense. In the meantime, though, Williams’ cap impact will be lowered. His base salary has been dropped from $12MM to $2.1MM, Fitzgerald notes, creating immediate savings. Players designated as post-June 1 cuts immediately become free agents, but their teams do not see the additional cap space until after that date.

Now, as a result of the restructure, Baltimore will have $9.9MM in space which would not have otherwise been available during the early portion of the offseason. The team will free up the remaining $2.1MM once Williams’ contract is officially off the books on June 2. This move will result in $6.72MM in dead money charges in 2025 and ’26.

Following a five-year run in New Orleans, Williams was one of the top free agents in 2022. He inked a five-year, $70MM deal with the Ravens and as such faced high expectations upon arrival. The former second-rounder matched his career high with four interceptions in his first Baltimore campaign, one which was limited to 10 games due to injury. Last year, Williams only made 11 appearances while spending much of the year at less than full strength. His starting spot was not in jeopardy early in the current campaign, but part of the team’s midseason defensive adjustments was the decision to bench him.

Through the closing stages of the regular season and into last night’s wild-card game, Baltimore has used Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington as safety starters. That setup is set to continue the rest of the way, and Williams will no doubt welcome a fresh start this spring (although his market has obviously taken a major hit). The 28-year-old’s next contract will surely fall well short of the $15MM annual average value he secured from the Ravens. With Williams set to depart, meanwhile, safety will be a position to watch during the offseason for the team this offseason.

Ravens Bench S Marcus Williams

October 27th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not for the first time this season, the Ravens’ secondary struggled during Sunday’s loss to the Browns. The unit was without corners Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins due to injury, but another starter was out of the lineup as the result of a coach’s decision.

Safety Marcus Williams was a healthy scratch in Week 8. The 28-year-old has been in Baltimore since 2022, serving as a starter every game until today. Williams posted consistent PFF grades over his first two Ravens campaigns, but this year that figure sits at 48.9, by far the lowest of his career. Like a number of other Baltimore defensive backs, the early portion of 2024 has not gone according to plan.

When speaking after the game, Eddie Jackson – who took over Williams’ first-team role – told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic he was informed midweek of the decision to sit Williams. The former Saint signed a five-year, $70MM pact in free agency as Baltimore’s latest big-money safety investment. Expectations were high given the size of that deal, and early on Williams delivered with four interceptions during his debut season. That year was cut short by a dislocated wrist, however.

Last year, the former second-rounder missed time due to a pectoral injury. Surgery was not needed, but Williams was limited to 11 games and he played much of the year well under full strength. Injuries have not been an issue in 2024, but rather underwhelming performances. A return to action could be in store relatively soon, though.

“It was a personnel decision,” head coach John Harbaugh confirmed (via Zrebiec). “We’re kind of working through some things there. I feel very confident Marcus is going to be out there playing great football for the rest of the season.”

Jackson was among the Ravens who dropped potential interceptions on Sunday, and he was involved in the breakdowns which played a key role in Cleveland’s second-half success on offense. Former UDFA Ar’Darius Washington also saw time at safety, and Baltimore has All-Pro Kyle Hamilton in place as a versatile defender whose responsibilities include playing at safety. If an outside addition is sought out via trade, Baltimore could afford a modest move since the team has $4.36MM in cap space.

The Ravens have been connected to a trade for additional pass rush help, and improving in that department could of course assist the secondary. Regardless of how the team proceeds before the November 5 deadline, the Williams situation will be a storyline worth following.

NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton

December 10th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.

While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.

It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.

At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.

Marcus Williams Will Not Undergo Surgery; Ravens S To Avoid IR

September 22nd, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens will be without Marcus Williams for the second straight came on Sunday, as he continues to deal with a pectoral injury. The starting safety will be back in the fold at some point this season, though, given his rehab decision.

Williams has elected not to undergo surgery to address the injury, as detailed by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. As a result, he will not be placed on injured reserve. Players stashed on IR are required to miss at least four weeks, though the fact he will avoid that designation does not necessarily mean Williams is set to make a return to the field in the near future.

“There’s a sort of a vague timeframe right now,” head coach John Harbaugh said when asked about Williams’ recovery, “but I just don’t want to put it out there and then everybody be mad at me later.”

Williams, 27, was Baltimore’s top free agent addition in 2022 having signed a five-year, $70MM deal. That led to substantial expectations, and he recorded a team-leading four interceptions along with eight pass breakups. However, he was limited to 10 games due to a dislocated wrist, his first major injury in the NFL. That has now been followed up by the pectoral injury, which did not constitute a complete tear of the muscle.

Both team and player took some time to arrive at the non-surgical option, but the fact Williams will be back at some point will be welcomed news for Baltimore. The team’s secondary has been hit hard by injuries at the cornerback spot, so the former second-rounder’s absence has left the team particularly thin on the backend. Fill-in starter Geno Stone did, on the other hand, notch an interception in Week 2, presumably giving the Ravens optimism for their safety play moving forward.

While news on the Williams front is relatively positive, the same is not true of fellow defensive back Ar’Darius Washington. The latter – who served as the Ravens’ starting slot corner in Week 2 – might be out for the season, Harbaugh said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). A chest injury landed Washington on IR, but today’s update suggests he will at least be sidelined for a lengthy stretch. The former UDFA is one of several player the Ravens have used at both corner and safety, and the team’s versatile defenders will remain a vital part of the secondary especially until Williams is able to return to the field.

Ravens Sign DB Daryl Worley To Active Roster, S Duron Harmon To Practice Squad

September 12th, 2023 at 6:39pm CST by Ben Levine

With Marcus Williams suffering a pectoral injury during the Ravens’ season opener, the team has added some reinforcement to their secondary. The Ravens announced that they signed defensive back Daryl Worley to the active roster and safety Duron Harmon to the practice squad.

Worley has been with the Ravens since the end of the 2021 campaign. After getting into eight games with Baltimore in 2022, the veteran re-signed with the organization this offseason. He was cut prior to roster deadline day but quickly caught on with Baltimore’s practice squad. Worley was promoted to the active roster for Sunday’s season opener.

The former third-round pick has seen time in 79 games (55 starts). He started 15 games with the Raiders as recently as 2019. His ability to play both cornerback and safety made him a natural choice for the 53-man roster.

Harmon won three Super Bowls during his seven-year stint with the Patriots. He’s bounced around a bit since leaving New England, spending time with the Lions, Falcons, and Raiders over the past three seasons. He served as a full-time starter at each of those stops, including a 2022 campaign where he started 16 games for the Raiders.

He finished last season with a career-high 86 tackles to go along with five passes defended and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded him as an above-average safety (especially in coverage), but the veteran remained unsigned up to this point.

Williams is set to be out for “a while,” according to John Harbaugh (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). The coach also said that the safety could go under the knife, although that route is still to be determined by team doctors.

Ravens Not Looking Externally For RB Help

September 11th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens were forced to swallow a heavy pill when starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s win over the Texans this weekend. For solutions, many thought to look at the free agent or trade market, both of which are ripe with talented veterans, but head coach John Harbaugh said today that Baltimore will not be looking externally for running back help, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

With options like Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette in free agency and a player like Jonathan Taylor reportedly available via trade, no one would blame Harbaugh and company for bringing in an experienced starter to tote the rock. Instead, the Ravens feel confident in the options they have in-house to take over with Harbaugh even indicating that they will be operating with a committee in the backfield.

When Dobbins exited Sunday’s game, fifth-year backup Justice Hill stepped in and immediately scored a touchdown, his first since the 2019 season. While he later scored a second touchdown, matching his career-high for a season, Hill only amassed nine yards on eight carries. Veteran backup rusher Gus Edwards, who has filled in as a starter at times in his career, was a bit more productive with his eight carries, racking up 32 yards.

Adding veterans didn’t quite deliver the desired result two years ago when Dobbins, Edwards, and Hill all missed the 2021 season with season-ending injuries before the year even began. That year, Baltimore turned to a committee featuring veteran backs like Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, and Le’Veon Bell in conjunction with Ty’Son Williams. Freeman and Murray each reached 500 rushing yards and delivered six scores apiece, but overall, the running game was dependent on quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Still, the Ravens added veteran rusher Melvin Gordon in the offseason, ultimately cutting him and signing him to the practice squad before the regular season. Gordon seems like an obvious callup to help carry the load without Dobbins. The Ravens also saw some impressive preseason performances from undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright, landing both on the team’s roster in some capacity to start the year. Mitchell currently resides on injured reserve himself, so he’s unable to contribute at this time. Wright, though, landed on the practice squad and may also hear his number called up to the active roster this season.

Dobbins is now expected to undergo surgery to repair his Achilles tendon this Friday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero points out that Rams running back Cam Akers recovered from a similar surgery in less than six months two years ago. Dobbins will be aiming for a similar timeline, bringing him back shortly after the start of the 2024 league year.

In other injury news, Harbaugh confirmed that starting free safety Marcus Williams “will be out for a while” after suffering a pectoral muscle injury, according to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink. Williams missed seven games in his Baltimore debut last year and will be forced to miss more in 2023, but the team is holding out hope that he will not be out for the season. He’ll be forced to make a decision soon on whether or not he will undergo surgery, as well.

In Williams’ absence, the team turned to Geno Stone yesterday. Stone started the seven games missed by Williams last year, as well. The team also has versatile defensive backs Brandon Stephens and Ar’Darius Washington that they can turn to. Stephens recently moved back to safety after spending time at cornerback when the depth chart was thin there. Washington has always been a safety but got extensive work in the slot this offseason.

Starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum suffered a sprained knee and ankle, respectively, forcing them both to leave the game early, as well. Both players are reportedly “week-to-week” but could miss the trip to Cincinnati this Sunday. Versatile sixth-man Patrick Mekari stepped in for Stanley yesterday and is an easy choice to start as an injury replacement as he’s done so often in the past. Offseason addition and practice squad callup Sam Mustipher filled in at center and will likely continue to do so, if needed.

The team will certainly hope that they won’t need to rely on Mekari and Mustipher for too long, and though they are clearly missing many bodies for the upcoming matchup with their division-rival, they’ll hope to get some back, too. Both cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews will have a chance to play this weekend. There’s still work to be done, but things have been looking up recently for both players.

Ravens Activate RB J.K. Dobbins, S Marcus Williams

December 10th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Keeping in line with their stated intention, the Ravens have returned two key players to the active roster in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Steelers. Running back J.K. Dobbins and safety Marcus Williams have been activated from IR, per a team announcement.

Baltimore had pegged Week 14 as the goal for both players to return, so the news comes as little surprise. Dobbins’ activation was foreshadowed yesterday when veteran Mike Davis was waived. The former missed all of 2021 due to a knee injury, and his recovery lasted into the fall of this season. He made his 2022 debut in Week 3, but things did not go according to plan,

Dobbins played in three consecutive games following his return, but logged a snap share of 50% just once in that time. That led to another knee procedure in October, one which invited speculation that the Ohio State alum had suffered a new injury. Instead, the latest operation was aimed at accelerating Dobbins’ return to full health, something which would be a welcomed sight for the Ravens.

Baltimore ranks third in the league with an average of 158 rushing yards per game, but much of that production has come from quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the 2019 MVP expected to miss at least Sunday’s contest, the Ravens will no doubt look to lean heavily on their tailbacks. Dobbins’ return will allow he and backup Gus Edwards to play in the same game for the first time since the 2020 postseason.

Williams should immediately re-take his starting role upon returning on Sunday. The big-ticket free agent signing had a productive start to his Ravens career, notching three interceptions in his first five games. The former Saint will have a chance to eclipse his career-high in that regard (four) if he can stay healthy for the remainder of the campaign. Geno Stone will likely cede first-team duties with Williams back in the fold.

The Ravens have been strong in certain defensive aspects this season, but their pass defense has been lacking during parts of the campaign. Overall, they sit 25th in the league with an average of 248 yards per game allowed, a figure which could be improved upon with Williams available once again. To make room for his return, the Ravens have placed veteran cornerback and special teamer Daryl Worley on IR, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Baltimore will have two IR activations remaining as they head into the stretch run of the regular season. Dobbins and Williams should each have a significant role for the team as they attempt to maintain their lead in the AFC North.

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