Ian Williams Re-Signs with 49ers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Veteran nose tackle Ian Williams played for the San Francisco 49ers and came on strong as a full-time starter in 2015, which increased his leverage as a free agent.

Williams' incumbent team evidently recognized his value and deemed it worthwhile to reaffirm its commitment to him.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco reported on March 9 that the 49ers and Williams agreed to a five-year contract. However, Williams failed his physical, which led to the team inking him to a one-year deal on Wednesday.

Originally an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2011, Williams seldom saw the field in his first three NFL seasons. He suffered a broken left ankle just as he ascended to the top of the depth chart in 2013 when J.R. Sweezy of the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks blocked him low and ended his year after only one game.

That set the stage for a big showing in a contract year, as he racked up 65 combined tackles, a sack and a forced fumble this past season while starting all 16 games.

Finding someone who commands a double-team and has the blend of size (6'1", 305 lbs) and athleticism to line up right over the center is a difficult task for any defense that runs a 3-4 scheme. San Francisco has to feel fortunate it retained its own diamond in the rough in Williams, who figures to continue being a fixture in the trenches.

The 49ers could still bolster their depth on the defensive front through the 2016 NFL draft. It should be a deep pool of talent to choose from, though it seems like less of a priority now that Williams is re-signed.

Williams has to feel good about his standing in the organization considering San Francisco has the No. 7 overall pick and could have used it on someone like Baylor's Andrew Billings to replace him.

In light of the decision to keep Williams, who remains with a promising rotation featuring 2015 first-round pick Arik Armstead, there's greater reason to believe the Niners may target a quarterback with the seventh pick.