CINCINNATI -- Five-time Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams hopes that a reunion with his former defensive coordinator will turn around his career.
The Cincinnati Bengals signed Williams to a one-year contract Thursday. Financial terms of the deal with Williams, who was cut by the Dallas Cowboys on March 5, weren't disclosed.
To Williams, part of the attraction of coming to Cincinnati was the chance to play for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who held the job in Dallas from 2000 to 2006. Williams was the Cowboys' first-round draft pick in 2002 and had some of his best seasons under Zimmer.
"I know that coach (Zimmer) knows what I can do on the football field," Williams said. "I've been criticized for a lot, but I was never criticized when he was my coach. We're going to get back to our old ways and have a great season."
The Bengals finished 4-11-1 last season in large part because they had the worst offense in the NFL. The defense, which has been a problem for years, improved to a middle-of-the-league ranking despite spending a lot of time on the field.
Williams, 28, had problems in pass coverage with the Cowboys, but he fits the Bengals' desire to add another hard-hitting safety to handle opposing running backs in the AFC North.
Acquired: WR Laveranues Coles
(in free agency)
DT Tank Johnson
(in free agency)
RB Brian Leonard (trade with Rams)
S Roy Williams (in free agency)
Retained:
RB Cedric Benson
LB Darryl Blackstock
FS Chris Crocker
RB DeDe Dorsey
CB Jamar Fletcher
LB Rashad Jeanty
LB Brandon Johnson
FB Jeremi Johnson
Departed:
OT Stacy Andrews (to Eagles)
DB Michael Doss (released)
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (to Bills)
P Shayne Graham (released)
DT Orien Harris (traded to Rams)
WR Glenn Holt (to Vikings)
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (to Seahawks)
S Dexter Jackson (released)
OT Levi Jones (released)
» Free agency: Bengals' moves
» 2009 draft: Bengals' selections
"He was a big-time enforcer," Zimmer said. "When the ball was thrown over the middle of the field, not a lot of people came away with either the ball or their ribs or something. He's a big-time blitzer. He's a playmaker."
Williams made five Pro Bowls before last season, when he broke his right forearm in the second game, missed the next three, then returned and broke it again, ending his season. He believes he's a better fit in the Bengals' defense.
"I'm going to be more involved in the defense here, from my understanding," Williams said. "The last couple of years, I wasn't utilized to the best of my abilities. We played to everyone else's abilities, which is a great thing for the team, and I'm a team player. Whatever I'm told to do, I'll do."
Williams agreed to the one-year deal Wednesday night, and the Bengals offered to fly him into the city over the weekend. But Williams didn't want to wait that long -- he flew in Thursday morning, signed the contract and worked out with some of his new teammates.
"Being out on the street is not a fun thing, and I don't take this lightly," Williams said after the workout at Paul Brown Stadium.
Williams originally visited the Bengals on March 19, but at the time, coach Marvin Lewis told him the team had higher priorities than signing the safety. The Bengals already had decided to keep safety Chris Crocker and were looking to upgrade their offensive and defensive lines.
"We were very open and candid with Roy and told Roy we had other priorities that we felt were more important, and Roy would text me and remind me of those as we checked them off," Lewis said.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
View all comments >>