Brandon Williams Talks 2017 NFL Free Agency, Possible Return to Ravens and More

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams is set to be one of the top free agents on the market this offseason and is not ruling out a return to Baltimore.

"If it so happens I feel like Baltimore is the best place for me, then I'll stay and we'll work it out from there," Williams told SiriusXM NFL Radio, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. "If not, and I feel it's right somewhere else and that's where I need to be, that's where I'll be. But right now, it's up in the air."

He added: "It comes down to me taking care of my family for the long haul. Baltimore knows that. I've talked to [coach John] Harbaugh and Ozzie [Newsome, general manager] and they know the biggest thing is... taking care of my family."

Williams, 27, registered 51 combined tackles and a sack in 2016.

Williams is in line for a lucrative payday. As Hensley noted, Damon Harrison's deal with the New York Jets from last season (five years, $46.25 million and $24 million guaranteed) provides some framework for what Williams might command on the open market this offseason.

And if the Ravens want to keep Williams from hitting free agency but can't agree to a new contract, the franchise tag will cost them around $14 million, as Hensley noted, a figure the team might not be willing to pay and one that would give him the highest base salary of any defensive tackle in the league.

That's not the sort of money that run-stuffing defensive tackles who aren't great pass-rushers generally make in a season.

But as run-stuffers go, Williams is one of the best. John Clayton of ESPN Insider ranked him the No. 7 free agent in 2017, writing: "Williams has blossomed into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. He stops the run, and the Ravens have to stop him from leaving for a big-money deal in free agency."

And Matt Miller of Bleacher Report is high on Williams as well:

Regardless of where he ends up, Williams seems to be enjoying the process.

"I'm anxious to see where my life takes me in less than a month," Williams said. "I'm excited. My family is excited. We're just excited to see what this new chapter in life holds, whether it's in Baltimore or somewhere else."