Huzzah! The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to terms with Ian Williams on a 5-year contract, according to Ian Rapoport and Pro Football Talk. The nose tackle was due to become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday afternoon, but will avoid the market with this deal.
This is a big piece returning for the 49ers defense. Although he is known primarily as a nose tackle, he worked his way into nickel defensive tackle work as well this past season. He led the defensive line in snaps, securing 57.8 percent of total defensive snaps. That's not Justin Smith or Ray McDonald levels from their final years, but it's a sizable chunk for a guy previously viewed mostly as a nose tackle.