Today is the 50th day of FOX Sports Wisconsin Packers writer Paul Imig's offseason evaluations of every player on Green Bay's roster. Click here for all of Paul's previous evaluations and come back every day through mid-March for Paul's in-depth film and statistical analysis. Coming up soon:
Tuesday, March 19: DL C.J. Wilson
Wednesday, March 20: DL Jerel Worthy
Thursday, March 21: OLB Frank Zombo
TRAMON WILLIAMS, CORNERBACK
Season stats: 18 games (16 regular season, two postseason); 63 tackles, six missed tackles, two interceptions, 38 interception yards, 20 passes defensed, zero forced fumbles, zero sacks; thrown at 115 times while allowing 63 receptions (54.8 completion percentage); five penalties committed; played 1,240 out of 1,259 defensive snaps (98.3 percent)
Best game: Week 2 win over Chicago (two interceptions, 38 interception return yards, two passes defensed, four tackles, zero missed tackles, thrown at six times while allowing two receptions; played all 63 snaps; 2.0 PFF rating)
Worst game: Week 11 win at Detroit (two tackles, one missed tackle, zero passes defensed, thrown at five times while allowing three receptions for 88 yards; played all 75 snaps; minus-3.1 PFF rating)
ProFootballFocus.com season rating: Minus-0.3 (No. 11 out of 23 on Packers defense; second-worst among Packers cornerbacks)
Expectations at the start of the season: Medium
Expectations were ... Met
Looking live: Williams entered the 2012 training camp as the Packers' clear-cut No. 1 cornerback. The competition that existed at that position was to determine who would be starting opposite Williams, as his spot was secure. Williams, 29 at the time, was beginning his seventh year in Green Bay with questions lingering about whether he would regain the form he had in 2010 as a Pro Bowl selection and one of the league's best cornerbacks. His drastic fall in production in 2011 was hardly his fault considering he played through a significant shoulder injury that has sidelined many of his peers for more than just the one game Williams missed. With Jarrett Bush, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward and Davon House all starting games at the other cornerback position, Williams often drew the assignment of defending against opponents' best players. That meant Detroit's Calvin Johnson twice and Chicago's Brandon Marshall twice, among many other notable matchups. Given that, expectations for Williams need to be adjusted accordingly. He stayed healthy and played more than 98 percent of the defensive snaps. The only player on Green Bay's defense to be on the field more than Williams was starting safety Morgan Burnett. Having Williams available all season was a huge plus for the Packers.
Upon further review: This past season, Williams did not return to his 2010 form when he intercepted a career-high six passes and was graded by ProFootballFocus.com as the NFL's fourth-best cornerback. It seems those elite-level days may be behind behind Williams, especially considering that he'll be 30 when next season begins. However, Williams was much better in 2012 than he was in 2011. He was criticized at times for huge numbers put up by Johnson, New Orleans' Marques Colston and Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne, but Williams was not the member of Green Bay's secondary at fault in coverage throughout most of that statistical damage done. Hayward and Shields had far better seasons at cornerback than Williams, but it's important to keep a player's role in mind. If the Packers had, for example, Seattle's Richard Sherman in their secondary to be the team's No. 1 lockdown corner, Williams would have less responsibility and therefore look better on the field. Both of his interceptions came in the same game (Week 2), meaning that Williams played the last four months of the season without forcing even one turnover. Williams was once again not very good in stopping the run, a problem that has gotten more noticeable since his shoulder injury in Week 1 of the 2011 season.
Overall 2012 grade: B-minus
Status for 2013: 99 percent chance of being on the Packers' active roster in Week 1 next season. Williams has two years and more than $13 million remaining on his current contract. Green Bay's group of cornerbacks is getting better in a hurry. Hayward, 23, had a fantastic rookie season. Shields, 25, continues to improve quickly. House, 23, is the biggest and most physical player at the position and has a ton of potential. Those three are young, talented and less expensive than Williams. But, at least at the moment, the Packers still very much need Williams. His role could start to decline, though, if Shields, House and Hayward are deserving of more snaps next season. But, without a veteran like Williams around, there wouldn't be a safety net in case the three younger cornerbacks struggle in the next stage of their development.
Follow Paul Imig on Twitter.
