Kevin Williams, who made 30 tackles and saw action in all Seahawks’ games last season, signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints Friday. Williams spent the first 11 years of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, racking up a slew of All-Pro selections and Pro Bowl invitations, before joining Seattle last year as a free agent.
A defensive tackle, Williams’ principal contribution came when he filled in admirably after Brandon Mebane went down with an injury. Williams played in 16 regular-season games, made eight starts and finished with three sacks and two passes defensed as the Seahawks led the NFL in total defense for the third consecutive year.
The 34-year-old Williams, who first visited with the Saints last month, became expendable after the Seahawks signed 28-year-old Ahtyba Rubin, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cleveland Browns.
SEAHAWKS FREE AGENT TRACKER
Unrestricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/8 | TE Anthony McCoy | Re-signed | One year; injured last 2 seasons | ||
| 3/10 | CB Byron Maxwell | Signed-Phil | 6 years, $63 million: ($10.3 avg) | ||
| 3/10 | LG James Carpenter | Signed-NYJ | 4 years, $20 million | ||
| 3/10 | LB Malcolm Smith | Signed-Oak | 2 years, $7 million | ||
| 3/12 | DE O. Schofield | Signed-Atl | 9 QB hits, 2 sacks for ’14 Hawks | ||
| 3/13 | PR Bryan Walters | Signed-Jax | Primary punt returner in ’14 | ||
| 3/16 | S Jeron Johnson | Signed-Was | $3.5 million over 2 years | ||
| 3/19 | TE Tony Moeaki | Signed-Atl | 6 games, 2 starts in ’14 | ||
| 3/19 | DT D. Smith | Re-signed | Spent 2014 on injured reserve | ||
| 3/27 | LS Clint Gresham | Re-signed | Played in all 16 games | ||
| 4/2 | FB Will Tukuafu | Re-signed | Made 2 starts; also DL | ||
| 4/2 | DE D. Dobbs | Re-signed | 4 games in 2014 | ||
| 4/20 | C Lemuel Jeanpierre | Re-signed | Played in 15 games in ’14 | ||
| 6/9 | QB Tarvaris Jackson | Re-signed | Threw 1 pass in 2014 | ||
| 6/12 | DT Kevin Williams | Signed-NO | Agreed to 1-year deal |
Restricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | DE Greg Scruggs | Re-signed | Injured reserve last 2 years (knee) |
| 3/9 | LB Mike Morgan | Re-signed | Played in 53 games since 2011 |
| 3/9 | WR Ricardo Lockette | Re-signed | 11 catches, 2 TDs in ’14 |
| 3/9 | CB DeShawn Shead | Re-signed | Played in 16 games with 1 start in ’14 |
Extensions / Restructures / Cuts
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | RB Marshawn Lynch | Extend. | 3 years, $31 million; $12 million in 2015 |
| 3/6 | TE Zach Miller | Cut | Played 3 games in ’14; had severe ankle injury |
| 3/6 | OT Garrett Scott | Cut | Waived due to a non-football heart condition |
Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heath Farwell | ILB | 33 | $1,125,000 | Retiring to coach |
| Landon Cohen | DT | 28 | $730,000 | Played in one playoff game |
Remaining Restricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Shilling | G | 26 | $645,000 | Went on IR Nov. 10 (knee) |
| David Gilreath | WR | 26 | $495,000 | Didn’t play in 2014 |
| Jermaine Kearse | WR | 25 | $480,000 | Winning TD in NFC Champ. |
Free Agents Signed
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/9 | Will Blackmon | CB | Jacksonville | 12 starts for the Jaguars last 2 years |
| 3/9 | Cary Williams | CB | Philadelphia | Deal is 3 years, $18 million |
| 3/16 | Jesse Williams | DT | Seattle | Cut March 6, re-signed |
| 3/19 | Ahtyba Rubin | DT | Cleveland | Better suited to Seattle’s 4-3 |
Trades
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans | Cost: C Max Unger, No. 1 pick |
3 Comments
The NFL is a brutal business… Kevin Williams played his heart out and was definitely a contributor in Seattle getting back to the Super Bowl. He deserved to come back for one more year even though I am sure Rubin will do fine.
They also added Kasen Williams according to a report. Hope he does the same thing Kearse has done. Be productive and force the Hawks to keep him.
Kevin Williams so long and thanks for understanding it’s all business. Good luck until we see you again in a game. Business you know.
A bit of a surprise to me because Williams was a solid contributor. However Rubin is younger so that fits into the Seahawks philosophy in player personnel. Hope things workout for Kevin.