Getty Former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Connor Williams warming up during a practice session.
The New York Jets might not be done adding protection for Aaron Rodgers this offseason.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report was tasked with picking one move that every NFL team still needs to make ahead of the 2024 season.
For the Jets, he urged them to sign free-agent offensive lineman Connor Williams. Williams, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins on a $14 million contract.
“The Jets had offensive line issues last season and while they made several moves during the offseason to address that need, but it couldn’t hurt to bring in one more interior offensive lineman. If he’s healthy enough, Williams could potentially start over Joe Tippmann at center to give the team a more seasoned veteran as it pursues a Lombardi Trophy,” Holder explained in a column posted on Saturday, May 25. “Granted, the 27-year-old has a long injury history and might be available because he suffered another torn ACL last season. However, he had an 86.5 grade from Pro Football Focus before going down and that was in Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has similar West-Coast concepts as Nathaniel Hackett’s system.”
Williams Is Certainly Worth the Dart Throw at This Stage of the Offseason
The former Texas product brings with him plenty of NFL experience. He originally entered the league back in 2018 as the No. 50 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft. Over the last six years, he has spent time with both the Dallas Cowboys and the Dolphins.
During that run, Williams appeared in 83 games and made 77 starts. Over the last two seasons, he has received all of his snaps exclusively at the center position (1,553 snaps).
However, between 2018 and 2021, Williams had experience at multiple offensive line positions. From 2019 through 2021, Williams was a left guard exclusively for the Cowboys (2,807 snaps).
During his rookie campaign in 2018, Williams did his best Alijah Vera-Tucker impression. Williams got one snap at left tackle, 505 snaps at left guard, 180 snaps at right guard, and even got two snaps at tight end, per Pro Football Focus.
There is plenty to like in Williams as a free agent: he is still relatively young, has starting experience, and is versatile. However, the main reason he probably is still a free agent is because of his injury history.
He has missed 16 games during his career including a career-high eight this past season due to a torn ACL. According to Marcel Louis-Jacques, Williams blew out his knee in December of 2023. That complicates the picture of when he could be ready to go in 2024.
Jets Need Depth at the Center Position
Last year, Connor McGovern served as the veteran buffer between Tippmann and the starting lineup.
He provided a veteran presence in the room and someone who could help mentor Tippmann on his transition from college to the pros. McGovern ended up starting seven games in 2023 all at the center position.
Even when he wasn’t on the field, McGovern was still making an impact. Tippmann revealed during the season that he and McGovern would watch tape together to see how he could improve.
So far this offseason, McGovern remains a free agent. Both Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic left the door open for a potential McGovern return at some point this offseason during appearances on my show, “Boy Green Daily.”
Regardless of which Connor the Jets prefer in free agency, interior offensive line depth appears to be the final piece to what could be a championship roster.