Jesse Williams Waived by Seahawks: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Seattle Seahawks selected defensive tackle Jesse Williams in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, but they moved on from him Tuesday.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Seahawks waived the 6’3” tackle the day before the 2016 NFL league year begins.

Williams has actually never seen the field during a regular-season game since entering the league. Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle noted the Alabama product was on the non-football illness list during the 2015 campaign as he recovered from cancer surgery.

Henderson also said Williams missed his first two seasons because of knee issues.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times added some context surrounding Williams. The defensive tackle was diagnosed with Papillary Type 2 cancer in May and underwent surgery. He recovered in time to lace it up for the preseason even though a kidney was removed during that surgery, but the Seahawks waived him and placed him on the non-football illness list for 2015.

Condotta said, “Williams was an exclusive-rights free agent and the Seahawks had to tender him by the beginning of the new league year at 1 p.m. [PT] Wednesday. The move makes Williams a free agent.”

Williams has not had the chance to prove himself at the NFL level, but he played his college ball at powerhouse Alabama, so he understands what it takes to be a part of a winning culture. According to Sports-Reference.com, he racked up 61 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and three passes defended in 2011 and 2012 for the Crimson Tide as a rotational piece for head coach Nick Saban during two championship years.

Williams is only 25 years old and possesses enough size at 6’3” and 325 pounds to plug holes in the middle of a defensive line if healthy. He could serve as a low-risk, high-reward option for a team looking to add depth to its defensive front in free agency.