JOHN HARBAUGH ON MARCUS WILLIAMS:
“God Works In Mysterious Ways”
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL’s Annual Meeting is back this year. The three-day event returns at The Breakers, a luxury hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. Pro Football’s most influential people will meet in the Sunshine State this week to discuss a slew of items for the upcoming 2022 season. Usually the most high-profile of league summits, the Annual Meeting is where the majority of consequential issues are debated, including possible overtime reform.
Alongside the lengthy meetings, team owners, front offices, and coaches, are also required to speak to the media. AFC coaches this year were required to meet with reporters on Monday morning, before the official start of the Annual Meeting.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media and commented on the acquisition of former New Orleans Saints free safety, Marcus Williams. Williams, who is just 25-years-old, signed with the Ravens a few weeks back on a massive five-year, $70million contract, with $37million of that guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Speaking on Williams, Harbaugh said, “We’re very excited about all of our free-agent work so far. I think Eric (DeCosta) has done a great job, as well as all the scouts and the coaches.”
“It’s kind of a big ad for us. One that we really weren’t anticipating. I don’t think we went into free agency thinking we were going to get a free safety of that caliber; that he’d be available. That we’d be in the hunt. For that to happen and it happened quickly when it happened, was a big plus for us. It just seemed like a good fit. Sometimes, you know, God works in mysterious ways.”
“We kind of knew he was our player already but you get to the tape, you do the tape work and it’s like…hey, he’s a really good fit for us,” Harbaugh carried on. “Then you do some more research and make a couple of calls and you find out what a great guy he is. How hard he works, how much he loves the game, and the next thing you know he’s a raven… We’re just happy to have him with us.”
Williams is one of the top safeties in the NFL and immediately upgrades the Ravens’ secondary. The former Saints second-round pick is one of only six players with two-plus interceptions in each of the past five seasons and will help the Ravens improve in the turnover column, as well as in coverage.
Williams allowed a 54.2 passer rating when in primary coverage in 2021 according to Pro Football Focus and allowed only one touchdown while grabbing two interceptions. Williams has also been fairly reliable as he’s started 14-plus games in all five of his seasons in the NFL, which couples well with the Ravens’ needs after their secondary was ravaged with injury for most of the 2021 season.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero