Is the Williams Watch Starting?

Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Connor Williams is hoping to find a new team before the start of training camp; is there any chance that team could be Miami again?

Connor Williams before the opening game of the 2022 season against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. / JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA

Connor Williams spent the offseason in the background simply looking to get healthy again after his 2023 knee injury, but it appears the time has come for him to start thinking about the upcoming season.

Williams apparently feels confident he'll be ready for the start of the 2024 season and is hoping to sign with a team before the start of training camp in late July, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.

Former Cowboys and Dolphins free-agent center Connor Williams, who is coming off season-ending knee surgery, expects to be ready for the start of the season and is in discussions with multiple teams about where to play in 2024. He plans to pick his new team before training camp…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 18, 2024

The big question here is whether that 2024 team for Williams could be the Dolphins.

Williams went unsigned as an unrestricted free agent, which wasn't surprising given the severity of the knee injury he sustained in the Monday night loss against the Tennessee Titans last December.

The simple fact that there's a report indicating he could be ready for the start of the 2024 season is great news in itself because there was a time in the offseason when there seemed no guarantee he'd be able to resume his career.

RE-SIGNING WILLIAMS WOULD WORK FOR DOLPHINS

Williams joined the Dolphins as a UFA in 2022 when he signed a two-year contract worth $14 million and he sat out the offseason program last year in search of an extension.

But there was no extension, only fines for Williams missing the mandatory minicamp, and he ended up having to play in his contract year. That obviously proved catastrophic when he sustained that knee injury against Tennessee.

Because of his injury, Williams isn't going to command the kind of contract he otherwise would have gotten on the free agent market, but he's somebody who definitely could help a lot of teams if he can regain his previous form.

And one of those teams he could help definitely would be the Dolphins.

Miami signed unrestricted free agent Aaron Brewer in the offseason away from the Titans and the idea all along has been that he'd take over for Williams as the starting center.

But the Dolphins do have a question mark at guard, and both Brewer and Williams have starting experience at that position in the NFL. You could see where we're going with this.

Of course, as most of these things go, where Williams lands in 2024 likely will come down to finances and there's only so far the Dolphins are likely to go.

But this is most definitely a possibility worth pondering.

And, as indicated before, this is a positive development regardless if Williams can wind up playing with any team in the upcoming season.