The Carolina Panthers will enter the 2017 season with the cornerback position notched as a place of relative strength but unquestionable youth. The team entered last season with two projected rookie starters in James Bradberry and Daryl Worley, a questionable veteran (Bene Benwikere), and a promising player on PUP in Leonard Johnson. Over the course of the year, the rookies ironed out some early struggles and the team overcame some injury issues to gradually improve their standing.
There was however one constant problem in the secondary, and that was a lack of leadership. The loss of Charles Tillman to injury/retirement and even the absence of Roman Harper clearly took its toll on a unit that relinquished a lot of points to blown or missed assignments. The veteran presence simply wasn’t there to get them organized the way you’d like.
Tramon Williams does not have the pedigree of a guy like Charles Tillman, and there are very few that do. But what Tramon does have is a history of success. He was a vital part of the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV win, and a pro bowler that same season. Tramon has also been reported to be a great teammate and on field coach by Browns insiders, and the move to release him is largely due to cap savings.
Tramon is no longer a starting caliber NFL corner. He struggled some with the Browns, though as well all know... that team is constantly a struggle. The Browns did find a decent degree of success moving him to safety later in the season, and many believe that had that move been made in training camp the defense would have seen much greater returns. As it so happens, the Panthers could use some competition at safety, and definitely some veteran leadership and insurance in the defensive backfield in general. We all know how much Rivera values versatility in players, and getting a guy on the roster that can swing between safety and corner would be a plus.
Looking at it right now, I don’t think many fans feel that Tre Boston is consistent enough to be the long term answer at safety. He constantly couples big plays and hits with terrible blown assignments and extreme whiffs. Dave Gettleman is firmly on the record as stating that free agency allows you to set up your draft in such a way that you can take the best player available. Safety is an area of need for the Panthers, though not the one at the top of the list. Tramon Williams is expected to play again this season, but probably on his final NFL contract, which makes him both an enticing candidate and a practical one for Gettleman to look at.
All told, it wouldn’t be unresonable to see Williams sign a two year deal worth about $5 million dollars in total... somewhere. The question is, will it be here? What do you guys think?