If the first four practices of training camp and Mike Pettine’s comments Monday are any indication, the Green Bay Packers will start the 2019 season with veteran Tramon Williams as the defense’s slot cornerback.
The 36-year-old cornerback has been lining up inside during 11-on-11 work, largely because Pettine trusts his experience, football IQ and instincts from the slot.
“The elite nickels, slot corners in the league are the ones that have a high football intellect, they have some savvy there,” Pettine said Monday. “There’s a lot more thinking involved in nickel than there is playing outside, and this is a guy who’s seen it all. He understands how to play with leverage, he understands how to disguise. He just has that wealth of experience.”
Jaire Alexander and Kevin King have played mostly on the perimeter, allowing Williams to handle the slot.
Pettine is confident Williams can handle everything that goes into playing the position, even against the run and as a blitzer. The confidence comes from seeing Williams play the role so often in the past.
“Even though you don’t see him as the most physically imposing guy, he’s still tough. He’ll get you on the ground. He can blitz,” Pettine said. “That’s the great thing about Tramon. That’s a position he’s played before.”
Playing in the slot should give Williams an opportunity to help align the secondary and the rest of the defense before the snap. It’ll be part of his job to communicate checks and other relevant information to others around him.
“The good thing about the nickel is you can communicate with everybody. You can communicate across the field. It’s definitely an important position in this defense,” Williams said at his locker last week.
In a perfect world, the Packers would be able to keep Williams at the nickel spot all season, even if he can play multiple positions in Pettine’s defense. Last year, he played on the outside and at safety when injuries hit.
“We hope he doesn’t have to go outside and play corner, but he can. We hope he doesn’t have to play safety, but we know that he can. Having guys with that versatility are always key to your depth,” Pettine said.