(Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
Vince Williams won't be leaving Pittsburgh after all. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Steelers are re-signing linebacker Vince Williams. He had other offers but wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. Details of the contract haven't been released yet. It will most likely come on the cheap though.
Williams coming back is good news for the Steelers, as he'll provide much-needed depth behind Devin Bush and Robert Spillane at inside linebacker. It also means the Steelers will have lost three starters from last year's defense -- Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson -- instead of what at the time was thought to be five when Alualu agreed to terms with the Jaguars and Williams was released as a cap casualty back in March to save the team $4 million in cap space.
With Williams returning, the Steelers won't have to address the inside linebacker position in the early or mid-rounds of the draft and instead focus on other areas.
Williams has started 69 of 121 games with the Steelers since being drafted in the sixth-round in 2013 out of Florida State. Williams is the only player that's still with the Steelers from the team's 2013 draft class.
In eight years with the Steelers, Williams has recorded 479 total tackles, 333 of them being solos, 50 tackles for losses, 20.5 sacks, 45 quarterback hits, five fumble recoveries, five passes defended and two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six.
Williams also had a career-high in tackles for losses last season with 14, along with three sacks.