The future of veteran cornerback Tramon Williams in Green Bay will be determined after the 2020 NFL draft.
GM Brian Gutekunst told reporters on a conference call Monday that he’s planning to get through this week’s draft before making a decision on Williams, who is coming off a terrific 2019 season but who also turned 37 years old last month and is now an unrestricted free agent.
Gutekunst said he’d like to have Williams back in the right circumstances.
Reading between the lines, it’s clear Gutekunst wants to see what the draft holds – especially at cornerback – before determining whether or not it makes sense to bring Williams back for another season. If the Packers take a cornerback high later this week, the chances of Williams returning shrink considerably. If they don’t, or they wait until late in the draft to add a corner, bringing back the veteran – who played well in the slot for Mike Pettine last season – might make a lot of sense.
Williams played in all 16 games for the Packers in 2019, tallying two interceptions and eight pass breakups over 761 total snaps. He allowed only two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 79.3 into his coverage.
Despite Williams’ strong season, the Packers may want to give Chandon Sullivan or a high draft pick a chance to grow into the role at slot cornerback.
The Packers brought Williams back to Green Bay ahead of the 2018 season. He had spent the previous three seasons – 2015-17 – playing in Cleveland and Arizona. Signed as an undrafted free agent, Williams played the first eight years of his career with the Packers. He developed into a Pro Bowl cornerback and was eventually a major part of the team’s championship run in 2010.
The rest of the team’s unsigned free agents include offensive tackle Jared Veldheer, receiver Ryan Grant, safety Ibraheim Campbell and fullback Malcolm Johnson.
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