Should Cleveland Browns sign Tramon Williams?

Former Green Bay Packers No. 2 cornerback Tramon Williams is making the rounds as the top impending free agent corner remaining after the likes of Byron Maxwell and Chris Culliver signed their lucrative deals. It’s unclear how much money Williams would make on the open market, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Cleveland Browns have joined the chase for the shutdown corner of yesteryear, hosing Williams on a free agent visit this year.

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The Browns lost Buster Skrine to the New York Jets earlier in free agency, as Skrine unsurprisingly took a lucrative deal ahead of massive interest, as teams are high on his ability to become a breakout star. However, the Browns still have a trio of young corners worth looking at on their roster behind unquestioned No. 1 guy Joe Haden, who has been one of the best in the game ever since coming into the league.

While 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert was a headcase and put nothing positive on the field as a rookie, he has upside and was never drafted to succeed as a rookie. More importantly, undrafted free agent K’Waun Williams looked like a revelation in his first season outside of the confines of Pitt, shining with excellent ball skills and promising coverage skills. Throw in touted second-year pro Pierre Desir, who is a physical CB and looked good in limited snaps as a small-school rookie, and you have a high-upside crop of young corners behind Haden heading into the 2015 season.

And yet, the Browns are still showing interest in a veteran CB who has little upside but has rehabbed his value after a sharp decline following some elite play in 2011. Williams is a perennial lock for three picks and over ten passes defended, and the 31-year-old is a solid cover corner again and one of the league’s more consistent players at the position.

The Browns significant interest in Williams points to the fact that they don’t feel completely safe rolling with K’Waun Williams, Gilbert, and Desir as the No. 2-4 corners directly behind Haden, and I’m not going to blame them for that. I would blame them, however, if they were to overpay for Williams, since he is 31 and is merely a solid No. 2 cornerback.

Of course, “merely” is downplaying his ability too much, and, more importantly, the Browns are only looking for a solid No. 2 corner. They already have an elite corner and upside guys behind Haden, so their goal is to add stability to the position in the form of a corner who can make plays, provide quality coverage, and can succeed in big games. Williams would make the Browns feel more safe about their options in the secondary, and that alone makes him worth looking to as an option.

But should the Browns take the next step and sign him? The benefits listed above are important, especially since Williams is a known commodity and should still have two years of starting-caliber play in him. Everything comes down to cost, and it’s tough to understand Williams’s market value, especially since cornerback is an understandably desirable position and has yielded big contracts this offseason for those who play it.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who already spent massive dough to add a true No. 1 CB, showed interest in Williams last week as a partner for Maxwell, the Packers are still an option, and the New Orleans Saints, who are looking to partner their former “Legion of Boom” star- Brandon Browner– with someone if they have to deal Keenan Lewis, hosted him on a visit.

Dec 21, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams (38) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Green Bay Packers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a market for Tramon Williams now after he became an afterthought due to all of the other corners, but he was always one of the top-five available at the position this offseason. Again, this is a guy who can make plays on his own in the secondary, and every team around the league knows what he can bring to the table in the short-term.

Due to his age and status as a “you know what you get guy”, he holds little long-term value, so he’ll likely seek a two-year deal with enough guarantees to make suer he comes away with something tangible.

That’s something the Cleveland Browns could feasibly agree to, since all they are looking for is someone like him. Of course, if the Browns are high on their Williams, Desir, and/or Gilbert as a No. 2 CB, then signing the free agent Williams as Skrine’s “replacement” would be a waste. Not only would they spend money on someone they feel they don’t truly need, but they would also block one of their young corners from starting.

K’Waun Williams showed an awful lot of ability and upside as a UDFA rookie, and the Browns have intriguing options even after Skrine. They’ll have to decide if they truly need this Williams, because they will have to weigh his contract length and dollar amount (along with guarantees, of course) with whether or not they feel he’ll be a necessary addition or a luxury upgrade.

Ideally, the Browns would sign him to a one-year deal that is mostly guaranteed and then let him walk once their young CBs gain more experience, thus allowing the Browns to have a better idea of what they have at the position.

Next: Browns having a smart free agency

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