Bobbie Williams signs new deal

Posted: 4:50 p.m.

The Bengals have signed guard Bobbie Williams to a four-year contract through 2009. The new contract replaces his existing deal, which was set to expire after the 2006 season.

Williams (6-4, 340; Arkansas) is a seventh-year player in 2006. He joined the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent signee from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, and has started every game at right guard the past two seasons. In fact, he has missed only one offensive snap since joining the team.

This past season, Williams helped anchor an offensive line which set two significant Bengals protection records and cleared the way for HB Rudi Johnson to set a new single-season rushing record for the second straight year.

The Bengals 2005 line allowed the fewest number of sacks in a season (21; broke previous record of 24 set in 14-game seasons of 1972 and '73), as well as the fewest number of sacks per game (1.31; broke previous record of 1.56 set in 1995, when team allowed 25 in 16 games). The line also provided the blocking for Johnson, who gained a team-record 1458 rushing yards, surpassing the mark of 1454 he established in 2004.