William spent the previous five seasons with the Jets, starting 73 of 78 games played. He recorded 554 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits and 12.5 sacks. He also added nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 27 passes defensed and one interception. He registered four consecutive 100-tackles seasons beginning in 2021.
Over his time with the Jets, Williams said Rutenberg helped him play more freely in their zone schemes and improve his ability to focus and use his eyes in man coverage. As he became more familiar with the defense in his first few seasons, he began to flourish. Williams said he refined his approach of how he put together his workouts, training and diet, as well as his how he studied and treated his practice reps as game reps. His efforts paid off, as Williams was named a first team All-Pro for the 2023 season.
Now in Cleveland, Williams feels he will be rejuvenated by the chance to play once again for Rutenberg, who he knows will put him in the best position to succeed, as well as play in a similar style scheme.
He also believes he brings speed to the Browns' linebacker room.
"(Like) a cheetah chasing a gazelle when he first wakes up," Williams said. "My mindset is be there before the ball gets there or be there before the runner or receiver knows you're there. The only way I can do that is by my preparation. That's making sure the game plan is right, making sure I know where I need to be, making sure I know where my teammates are too. So, I know what plays I can take and what shots I can take. And so, all that put together looks like a cheetah chasing a gazelle, because I know where I'm going and I know how fast I need to be to get there before you turn around."