Thursday, January 16, 2014

Bills' Aaron Williams undergoes surgery after all

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

Right before the new year, Buffalo Bills cornerback-turned-safety Aaron Williams proclaimed no surgery would be necessary this offseason -- just some rest and solid prep work. Apparently that was wishful thinking.

The defensive back announced via Twitter Thursday that he underwent an unspecified procedure Thursday, saying he was "still drowsy" at the time of his tweet but believes he'll be "fine."

Williams was IR'ed by the Bills for the last game of the season while he was dealing with a rib injury, and he also dealt with back problems throughout the season.

The 23-year-old's play vastly improved once he moved into the safety role under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, pulling in four interceptions and posting some pretty solid numbers in coverage.

According to ProFootballFocus, opposing receivers pulled in only 58.5 percent of passes thrown into Williams's coverage; only Jairus Byrd posted better numbers (50 percent) among his fellow safeties.

Williams is heading into the final year of his contract and slated to earn $1.09 million in 2014. His health will be a major factor going forward, as he is currently the clear No. 2 behind Byrd. But with uncertainty surrounding the return of both Byrd and Pettine, Buffalo may need Williams more than they think.

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