Cornerback Tramon Williams is well aware that this could be his last season with the Green Bay Packers. He’s entering the final year of the four-year, $33 million deal he signed in 2010.
Williams will make $7.5 million this season and count $9.5 million against the salary cap. Those are some hefty numbers for a guy who’s 31 and hasn’t been to a Pro Bowl since the year he signed that contract.
Well, except…
After two very disappointing seasons and a slow start to 2013, Williams was arguably the Packers’ best defender down the stretch last year. He suddenly turned into the playmaker he was in 2010. Gone was the piece of crap who would rather run out of bounds than take on an oncoming Adrian Peterson.
You know what I’m talking about. And so do you Tramon.
Anyway, the Tramon of last year was locked in. A guy opposing offenses had to worry about, reckon with. Obviously, he’s looking to carry that over into this season and several more after it…
“I started feeling better and better as last year went along, and at the end of the year, I felt better than I have in a while,” Williams said. “So I definitely see another five years. I think I can play five more, for sure.”
Now, we all know Ted Thompson will refuse to sign him in the offseason regardless of what he does this year. Tramon is over 30, you see.
However, there are plenty of cornerbacks who’ve played into their mid-30s, so it’s not like Tramon is talking crazy talk. Off the top of my head, these guys were in the same age range during their last season in Green Bay — Charles Woodson (36), Al Harris (35) and Dave Brown (36).
Yeah, that’s right. I conjured up Dave Brown.
Now, Tramon isn’t going to get anywhere near the $7.5 million he’s making this season in his next contract. And the Packers can slide Casey Hayward up and Micah Hyde in to form a top three with Sam Shields.
So the Packers don’t NEED to keep Williams around. If he plays 2014 like he finished 2013, it will really suck when Ted unceremoniously shows him the door though.