Daryl Williams is moving on from the Carolina Panthers, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Williams salary was not immediately available.
The offensive tackle spent the last five seasons with the Panthers, where the offensive line did its best to protect quarterback Cam Newton. Williams started 41 of the 56 games he played there, but a reinjured knee in Week 1 of the 2018 season put him out for the year. Carolina's offensive line changed for the worse after then.
After allowing just 35 sacks in 2017, that number nearly doubled, jumping up to 58 in 2019-tied for the most allowed in the league with the Miami Dolphins. The 2019 season was a failure for the offensive line in particular and was rough news for Williams after he agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract last March.
As the Panthers undergo a regime change with head coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater joining the franchise this offseason, it made sense to revamp the offensive line as well.
Carolina signed guard John Miller and acquired left tackle Russell Okung. That made Williams' future with the Panthers rather clear.
Now, Buffalo will try to reap the benefits. Williams is still just 27 years old and has proved durable since his MCL injury. A turnaround for the former fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma isn't impossible, but the stigma of Newton's sack troubles in Carolina will be hard to overcome.
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