When the Bengals signed left tackle Orlando Brown in free agency, Jonah Williams’ immediate reaction was to request a trade. Williams, the 11th overall pick in 2019, had started all 42 games he played at left tackle in his first four seasons.
But Brown’s signing meant a move to right tackle for Williams.
He made such a seamless transition that Williams has increased his value as he heads to free agency.
“It was impressive,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said, via Geoff Hobson of the team website. “He showed he’s versatile, which will play well over time with him.”
Tobin said he was uncertain of Williams’ future. It’s likely, though, that another team gives Williams more money than the Bengals are willing to offer.
That’s why Tobin has spent a lot of time scouting offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl.
“There hasn’t been a year we don’t want to continue to develop both lines of scrimmage,” Tobin said. “That’s where the game is won and lost. There are great players on every team that are great skill players and you need them to make big plays in big moments and they want the ball in their hands in big moments. But the game is won and lost on the line of scrimmage and everyone is down here at the Senior Bowl focused on the line of scrimmage.
“Those are the guys that are hard to find. You get a great rusher and it makes teams have to rely on their tackles. And if they’re not up to it, it’s a big problem. You want to be that problem for the other team and solve that problem for yourself.”