The Baltimore Ravens have agreed in principle with NT Brandon Williams on a five-year contract, general manager/executive vice president Ozzie Newsome announced Thursday.
The Ravens expect to hold a press conference with Williams at the Under Armour Performance Center on Monday, March 13. A time will be sent out as soon as details have been confirmed.
Entering his fifth NFL season, Williams has spent his entire career with Baltimore after being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Playing in 55 games (46 starts), he has recorded 158 tackles (97 solo), 4.5 sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Last season, Williams continued to emerge as one of the NFL's top defensive linemen. He was named a second alternate to the Pro Bowl after recording the third-most tackles (51) and second-most solo stops (34) among all NFL nose tackles. He also added one sack and one pass defense for a Ravens' defense that allowed the NFL's fifth-fewest rushing yards (89.4 ypg). One of his best games as a pro came in Week 7 at the New York Jets, when he posted eight tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and blocked a field goal attempt.
In 2015, Williams recorded career highs with 53 tackles (35 solo), two sacks and two passes defensed, adding a forced fumble. He was one of four defensive tackles (Jurrell Casey, Kawann Short & Ndamukong Suh) to record at least 30 solo tackles, two sacks and two passes defensed on the season.
Since becoming a starter in 2014, the 6-1, 340-pound Williams has helped anchor a Ravens' defensive line that has allowed just 93.8 rushing yards per game, ranking third in the NFL during that span. He has not missed a game in the past three seasons (2014-16), and he has started in 36-straight contests.
Williams has also made a strong impact in the Baltimore community since his arrival. Among his many charitable endeavors include serving as a spokesperson for the Maryland Food Bank, where he has helped support the team's annual food collection efforts by donating over 15,000 meals to the food bank. He also works closely with the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore and has served as a host for the annual Goodwill Gridiron Halloween Party, where proceeds benefit the Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake.
