Tramon Williams 2013 Green Bay Packers Evaluation and Report Card

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Packers CB Tramon Williams
Packers CB Tramon Williams

1) Introduction: For running backs, perhaps the most demanding position in football, hitting age 30 can be the death blow to a player’s career. But for Tramon Williams, a cornerback in his age-30 season, the veteran remained relatively consistent before a late-season surge that now may have the Packers rethinking their stance on the cornerback this offseason. Prior to the season, it looked as if this past year may be Williams’ last in Green Bay, but he was undoubtedly one of the team’s best defenders late in the season. Along with the uncertain future of Sam Shields, the Packers face several question marks at what may be one of their deepest positions.

2) Profile: Tramon Williams

  • Age: 30
  • Born: 3/16/83 in Houma, LA
  • Height: 5’11″
  • Weight: 191
  • College: Louisiana Tech
  • Rookie Year: 2006
  • NFL Experience: 8 years

Career Stats and more

3) Expectations coming into the season: Williams was a big question mark for the Packers coming into the 2013-14 season. Since his breakout season in 2010, Williams was up-and-down through the subsequent two seasons as he battled a shoulder injury. With a crowded group of cornerbacks (Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Davon House and Micah Hyde) geared up for the season, it was unknown how Williams’ playing time would be affected. If at all.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: While not the All-Pro caliber player he was in 2010, Williams may have been the Packers’ best defensive player in the late-season stretch run that landed them in the playoffs as the NFC North champions. Against the Dallas Cowboys, Williams intercepted Tony Romo on the Cowboys’ final possession to clinch the Packers’ one-point victory, setting up a division-deciding game against the Chicago Bears. After beating the Bears, Williams intercepted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, proving that No. 7 in red was, in fact, human. The first half of the season was different for Williams, as he wasn’t a reliable tackler and struggled to handle slot duties in Hayward’s absence.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: There have been plenty of knocks on Williams for his post-2010 play, but nobody can question is durability. Not even you. Since becoming a member of the Packers’ 53-man roster in 2007, Williams has missed one game. One. So while the injury bug bit the position, Williams was a crutch for the Packers to lean on. Was this his best season? No, but he showed significant improvement this year from his previous two seasons and was on the field every Sunday. And he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 39th-best cornerback, which was up from No. 61 in 2012.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: PFF would suggest the playoff game was Williams’ best effort tof the season. Williams played all 64 defensive snaps against the 49ers, and his +3.6 grade was his highest in any game. He was responsible for Kaepernick’s lone interception–his only in three games against the Packers–but Williams also dropped a would-be interception in the end zone. So, in reality, a potentially great day turned out to be just good.

Season Report Card:

(B) Level of expectations met during the season

(B) Contributions to team’s overall success.

(B) Contributions to team during the playoffs

Overall Grade: B

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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.

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16 thoughts on “Tramon Williams 2013 Green Bay Packers Evaluation and Report Card

  1. Personally, I’d bump him to an overall B+. Even if only for lowering his shoulder and going at Kaep after that pick!

    1. That was so obvious and so sweet. Tramon is a money player who shows up in the big games. I just wish that he had enough talent around him, particularly at safety, to make our secondary the best in the league. Here’s hoping that Sam Shields sticks around and we get Hayward back to full strength.

  2. About mid season something clicked w/ Tramon. He wasn’t much better than last year in the 1st half of ’13, but down the stretch his performances were reminiscent of ’10 and of very similar quality IMO. Not sure if he just finally got the nerve damage in his shoulder work out completely or what happened. Until that point I thought the Packers would renegotiate him to a lower salary, and they still might try, but after about midseason his play improved dramatically. All his turnover plays occurred from wk 9 on and he started playing w/ the physicality he showed in ’10. He’ll stick in GB and hopefully gets extended for another 2 years at a slightly lower salary.

  3. Didn’t Sam Shields have a pick six against Kaepernick in the January 2013 playoff game? That would make Tramon’s INT the second.

  4. Many wanted to see Williams gone early in the season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers try to renegotiate his deal, but he has to stick around based on his performance late in the year. It would be really nice to be able to spread some of his cash around, though.

  5. I was one thinking they would renegotiate, but after the last few games, I’m not so sure. They do need to try to retain shield, and need $ from somewhere to do that. Jordy and Cobb are due big paydays next year too. Spells trouble for Raji and a few others. If Williams, Hayward and shields are back, cb is pretty secure.

  6. With Shields uncertainty, keeping Williams is a givin, and at his current salary. If Williams can continue his performance from the 2nd half of last season, then he deserves every penny he’s making.

  7. With Shields uncertainty, keeping Williams is a givin, and at his current salary. If Williams can continue his performance from the 2nd half of last season, then he deserves every penny he’s making.

    1. I would get Shields under contract and then discuss an extension to a slightly reduced salary for another 2 years. I know it might be difficult to keep both but IMO we need both. Hayward is great in the slot role, but neither he nor Hyde is a good outside CB, just like neither Shields or Tramon are really good in nickel/slot CB. And I don’t think House is ready to start outside.

      Moving Hyde to safety and using him as the dime CB is the best solution. But we need Shields and Williams outside.

  8. I doubt we’ll ever know but I wonder if Williams never really had confidence that his shoulder was 100% healed until the middle of the 2013 season.

    Williams also mentioned that there was a need for veteran players on the defense. He’s one of those veterans who needs to help out the younger players. I hope he’s around to do that.

    1. For sure he didn’t have 100% confidence in the safeties. Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden would look bad in front of our safeties.

      We need FA help Ted. Drafting two or three safeties leaves better players on the board. One high draft pick leaves us exposed to injury or a bust.

  9. Both of the corners have played well in big games from 2010 on and that is a luxury to have and the past 2 years they have done it with a below average D-Line and and average at best (when Mathew’s isn’t injured)LB cores in front of them which makes their pay even more stellar. It will be hard but to lock both of them up for 2-3 more years would make any D-Coordinator happy.

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