36 Shawn Williams SS

The Bengals decided to keep Williams on the roster instead of Dre' Kirkpatrick in the wake of their free agency moves in the secondary, Chris Rolling of USA Today reports.

Williams has a cheaper price tag than Kirkpatrick and can play multiple positions, though his stint as a linebacker last year was more of a last resort and didn't go all that well.

Williams recorded 114 tackles (80 solo), one sack, three defended passes and one interception aross 16 regular-season games in 2019.

Williams played an every-down role at strong safety for the Bengals in 2019, surpassing 1,000 defensive snaps in a season for the first time in his career. He's on track to reprise a similar role for Cincinnati in the 2020 season, giving him respectable value in IDP formats.

Williams recorded 13 tackles (eight solo) and a sack in Sunday's 38-35 loss to Miami.

Williams saw a season-high 89 snaps, allowing him to equal his seasonal tackle mark as well as the career-high 110 he set last season. The sack was his first of the year.

Williams made three tackles (two solo) in Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Patriots.

Williams entered this contest averaging 7.2 tackles per game, and this was the third time in four weeks that the veteran finished with three tackles. It has been a disappointing stretch for Williams, but he sits at 97 tackles on the year and is within reach of his career high (110).

Williams played all 56 defensive snaps and recorded six tackles (five solo) in the process during Sunday's loss to the Browns.

Williams has played in all 13 of of the Bengals' games so far this season, including 12 starts. He is now up to 56 tackles (39 solo) an one interception. The 28-year-old will look to continue producing in Week 15 versus the Patriots.

Williams recorded an interception to go along with three tackles (one solo) in Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Steelers.

Williams' interception was his first of the season. He recorded a career-high five last season, so 2019 has been relatively underwhelming thus far. Still, the 28-year-old will look to carry that momentum into Week 13 when the Bengals welcome the Jets to town.

Williams (thumb) was a full participant in Friday's practice.

Williams has resumed practicing without restrictions after beginning the week with back-to-back limited sessions. He's on track to draw his usual start against the Steelers on Sunday.

Williams (thumb) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

It's unclear when Williams sustained this injury, as he played all 70 defensive snaps in this past Sunday's loss to the Raiders. The veteran will aim to elevate to full participation by Friday. If Williams is unable to go, Clayton Fejedelem and Brandon Wilson are waiting in the wings for potential usage increases.

Williams registered nine tackles during Sunday's 17-10 loss to Oakland.

Williams yet again logged 100 percent of the defensive snaps and is now averaging exactly eight tackles per game entering a Week 12 showdown with the Steelers.

Williams had eight tackles (seven) solo and two tackles for a loss in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville.

Williams has posted eight tackles or more in five of seven games this season as Cincinnati's porous run defense provides plenty of tackle opportunities. The 28-year-old has 58 tackles (43 solo) and is on pace to shatter his career high of 110, though he's still looking for his first interception of the season.

Williams (thigh) was a full participant in Friday's walkthrough practice, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Williams has upgraded to being a full practice participant after beginning the week with two limited sessions. It's worth noting that Friday's practice was only a walkthrough, but his "full" designation is nonetheless a positive step. Barring any setbacks, the starting safety appears on track for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Williams (thigh) is active for Sunday's Week 6 matchup with Baltimore, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Williams was questionable entering Sunday after being held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday. He'll figure to start and see his typical role for the Bengals.

Williams (thigh) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Baltimore but is still expected to play, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Williams didn't participate at practice Wednesday and Thursday but finished the week as a limited participant. The 28-year-old has been a top-tier IDP defensive back this season with 44 tackles (32 solo) in five games.

Coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that Williams (thigh) is day-to-day but on track for Sunday's tilt against the Ravens, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Williams has been invaluable in IDP formats across five contests, having racked up 43 tackles (31 solo). He's still looking to log his first sack or takeaway of the season, however. If Williams were forced to miss any time, Clayton Fejedelem would be thrust into an important role in Cincinnati's secondary.

Williams had 12 tackles (10 solo) in Sunday's loss to Arizona.

Sunday's game saw Williams record double-digit tackles for the first time this season. He had finished each of the last three games with nine tackles. Five games into the season, Cincy's starting strong safety has certainly been impressive, racking up 43 stops. However, Williams remains without a sack or interception, and he must increase his production in both areas to maximize IDP value.

Williams had nine tackles (five solo) in Monday's loss to the Steelers.

Williams had plenty of opportunities Monday as the Steelers relied heavily on their running backs in the passing game, as James Connor and Jaylen Samuels combined for 16 receptions. That's three straight contests with nine tackles for Williams, and he has 31 tackles (21 solo) for the season.

Williams (back) will play in Monday's game versus the Steelers, Tyler Dragon of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Williams practiced in a limited fashion this week, but this was simply a precautionary measure. He's had solid success this season with back-to-back nine-tackle games, and he'll look to get on board with a turnover against Mason Rudolph, who has thrown an interception in the last two weeks.

Williams (back) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Williams is managing a back issue of undisclosed severity. It's a positive sign that the starting safety wasn't forced to sit out Thursday's practice entirely, but his availability for Monday's game against the Steelers can't be considered a guarantee. Williams will have two more opportunities to practice in full before the Bengals are forced to make a decision about his Week 4 status.

Williams made nine tackles (six solo) in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Bills.

After recording nine pass breakups and five interceptions last year, Williams has yet to post a coverage stat this campaign. The 28-year-old is logging plenty of work, though, playing 71 of 77 possible defensive snaps (91 percent) in Week 3. Williams has a solid IDP floor with 22 tackles through three games, so when he starts getting his hands on the ball, it will be icing on the cake.

Williams made nine tackles (eight solo) in Sunday's loss to the 49ers.

Williams was occasionally used in a safety-linebacker role in Week 1 versus the Seahawks, recording just four tackles. The veteran safety looks like he's back on track now after a strong showing, but his IDP value is shaky if the Bengals keep shifting Williams around on defense.