Pat

Williams

The big man had a monster season and will be highly sought-after. Williams and left tackle Jonas Jennings are Buffalo’s best two free agents.

Getting rid of Henry would free up cap space for the Bills to pursue their hefty defensive tackle. If he hits the open market as the best DT, Williams will likely end up elsewhere.

Pat Williams and Kevin Williams would possibly be the best tackle combo in the league.

We thought he’d get more. Either way, the Vikings suddenly have perhaps the interior defensive line in the league with Pat and Kevin Williams. The defense could improve significantly next season.

Williams has been on active/PUP while trying to lose weight.

He didn’t pass the team’s conditioning test until now, despite weighing less than he did last season, when he was Minnesota’s best defensive player.

The 40-year old 15-year veteran hasn’t played a snap since 2010. One half of the “Williams Wall,” Williams will sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Vikings. One of the better run stoppers of his generation, Williams is hanging it up with three Pro Bowl berths and 199 career appearances.

The case will likely be taken to the state Court of Appeals. From there, the losing party could appeal to the state Supreme Court. The Williamses will ask to be able to play during the appeal process as they continue to argue that the NFL didn’t allow them to explain their use of StarCaps. If the Williams Wall does end up missing four games, it’s a big blow to the Vikings. Jimmy Kennedy and Fred Evans would be thrust into major roles.

This should keep Saints DE Will Smith in the clear also, for now. It remains unclear when the appeal will be heard and as Profootballtalk.com points out, there was an eight-month lag between Brian Cushing’s sample collection and suspension. This story is sure to drag on throughout the summer.

The injunction prevents the Williamses from being banned four games, “until their appeal is resolved.” In order for the appeal to be resolved, the case would have to pass through both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court -- a process sure to last into 2011. Saints DE Will Smith, who ranked fifth in the NFL in sacks last year, is also in the clear.