Green Bay Packers beat writer Paul Imig will be analyzing the 25 most important players to the Packers' success in the 2013 season. Check back each day to see the latest player on the list.
Note: This is not a list of the team's 25 best players or a series about past success, but rather which of them means the most to how Green Bay will fare this year. Criteria such as depth at that player's position, general expectations and overall importance of that player having a good season are all highly considered.
30 / Eighth NFL season
Williams is part of an exclusive group on the Packers' roster: He's one of only four players who are at least 30 years old. As Green Bay got rid of several veteran players this offseason, Williams remained.
Until someone takes the spot from him, Williams is the Packers' No. 1 cornerback. Last season, that meant he often had the responsibility of guarding the opposing team's best wide receiver. That challenge is difficult regardless of the division, but in matching up with Detroit's Calvin Johnson twice and Chicago's Brandon Marshall twice, Williams had his hands full. Williams, at 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, is undersized against players like that, and it showed at times. However, one of the cornerbacks has to draw that assignment and try to defend dominant wide receivers, and it shows what Green Bay thinks of Williams that he was given that role.
Over the past three seasons, Williams has started all but one game. That one missed game was after injuring his shoulder in Week 1 of the 2011 season. Many NFL players would have been sidelined longer, but Williams battled through it. His individual results weren't as good while playing with the injured shoulder, but Williams deserves credit for making himself available to the team.
Veteran players often find out quite suddenly that being a long-time starter doesn't guarantee being a future starter. Recent examples like Charles Woodson and Donald Driver can relate to that. Despite that, Williams is No. 13 on this list because he's still many years away from reaching the age of players such as Woodson (36) and Driver (38). Age 30 doesn't mean the end of the line, especially not for a player like Williams, who appeared on the verge of becoming a star in 2010.
Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt has made it clear that there will be an open competition to determine the starters. Williams is the most experienced player at the position, but he's not guaranteed a spot. If Whitt was to predict the starters, chances are Williams would be one of the two.
Williams has created the expectation for himself that he should start all 16 games. Last season, though Williams did achieve that, the rest of his results weren't as positive. He was in difficult matchups nearly every week, but Williams was responsible for several huge games by opposing receivers. That's why Williams will be expected to do more than just be a starter; he'll need to improve upon what he did in 2012.
Williams is scheduled to earn $5.9 million in 2013 and $6.9 million in 2014. That's a lot of money in the overall layout of the Packers' payroll. Green Bay paid huge sums to Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews and now has to deal with the expiring contracts of Sam Shields, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Evan Dietrich-Smith and James Jones. As Desmond Bishop found out recently, good players can become free agents in a short period of time.
Williams will be expected to prove that he's worth that high-level salary, especially by next offseason when the Packers will face a decision on his $6.9 million amount.
Part of what is working against Williams -- and working for Green Bay -- is the competition surrounding him on the depth chart at cornerback. If Williams has a poor training camp or ends up missing multiple games this upcoming season, that could be it for him in a featured role. He would be replaced in the lineup by either Shields, Casey Hayward or Davon House, all of whom have the talent to be starters on just about any team in the NFL.
It should be beneficial for Williams that he'll be pushed every day by quality players. Williams will have little room for error, even with his proven track record. It will help defensive coordinator Dom Capers and the rest of the coaching staff in their planning by knowing that the team has so many great options. It should also be reassuring to Packers fans that general manager Ted Thompson and his front office have been able to put together a cornerback group this good.
This is a very important season for Williams. A productive year from him not only helps Green Bay's record, but it also keeps Williams from getting the type of call next offseason from Thompson that was made to Bishop and Woodson. As linebacker Terrell Manning said in a recent interview, the NFL often stands for 'Not For Long.' Williams has been a part of the Packers' roster since 2006, but that can change quickly if his performance slips at all.
Follow Paul Imig on Twitter
