One Interesting Fact About New Panthers DL DeShawn Williams

Something to know about Carolina's new defensive line addition.

Earlier this week, the Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with veteran free agent defensive lineman DeShawn Williams.

Williams played for Ejiro Evero last season in Denver, piecing together the best season of his career with 37 tackles, eight QB hits, 4.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and three passes defended. He will likely play defensive end in Evero's 3-4 base scheme, lining up alongside Derrick Brown and Shy Tuttle up front.

Williams is a native of Central, South Carolina, which is also the hometown of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And as a matter of fact, the two know each other well. Real well. They were teammates at Clemson from 2011-12 and oh yeah, they're first cousins.

Why does this matter? 

Well, as you well know, the Panthers are in the market for some receiver help. And it just so happens that the Cardinals are actually entertaining trade talks for Hopkins. Whether or not Williams makes the suggestion to the front office, it's a move Carolina should seriously consider making. It would give their rookie QB a clear WR1 and one that is widely viewed as one of the top receivers in the NFL. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Cardinals would like a second-round pick and "something else of value" in return.

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