Daryl Williams follows Matt Milano's lead, re-signs with Bills

Add right tackle Daryl Williams to the list of key Buffalo Bills who have renewed their commitment to a winning culture when they could have gone elsewhere, almost certainly for more money.

Williams passed on free agency Friday by accepting the Bills' offer of a new three-year contract worth $28.2 million, according to reports.

In the process, general manager Brandon Beane again lived up to the Executive of the Year Award he earned from the Pro Football Writers of America in 2020 by locking another crucial player in despite starting the offseason with such little cap flexibility.

Williams' commitment comes a day after the Bills convinced linebacker Matt Milano to stay with a four-year deal.

It also comes a year after what Williams described as the low point of his career, when he struggled throughout 2019 following a knee injury that limited him to one game in 2018 and his contract was not renewed by the Carolina Panthers.

But Williams made the most of a one-year, prove-it deal with the Bills and played so well in camp that they moved incumbent right tackle Cody Ford to guard to clear the way for Williams to play that spot.

"We were going to flip them around," Beane said. "But the more we watched in practice, [Williams] just seemed really confident over there at right tackle."

Confidence Williams admitted to lacking while trying to find his way back in 2019.

"I had never had a big injury like that in my life," Williams said.

Once he arrived in Orchard Park, everything changed.

"Beane, [coach Sean] McDermott, the Pegulas, all my teammates, the coaches, from Day 1 they made me feel comfortable," Williams said. "I just remember the first day I talked to them. They said they want me to be myself. The longer I stayed there, which was the whole year, after a few weeks I felt comfortable in my own skin. I'm just glad to be back."

Like Milano, Williams could have tested free agency and almost certainly could have come away with much more than he received Friday.

But like Milano, making the most money isn't his top priority.

"There's really no big egos on the team," Williams said. "There's no selfish people on the team, everybody's looking out for everybody. It's like [Matt] Milano says, it's a great culture. A very great culture, and I was just very blessed to be a part of that last year and we're back with it this year and hopefully the next three years."

Williams was a second-team All-Pro in 2017, before his career was nearly derailed by the knee injury the following summer.

Beane has more work to do, but what he's been able to do before the new NFL year begins next week was unexpected, to say the least.

Milano and Williams seemed like they were destined to test the market for sure.

But by releasing defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and wide receiver John Brown and working out pay cuts for center Mitch Morse and defensive tackle Vernon Butler, Beane was able to be in better position to first re-sign their most valued potential free agents and then pursue some on the open market.

More could happen before the shopping begins too.

The Bills are trying to work out a deal for center/guard Jon Feliciano to stay.

With all that's happened this week, look for him to follow the leaders.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.

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