Ravens value the experience and intelligence of veteran DB Tramon Williams
The Baltimore Ravens signed 14-year veteran cornerback Tramon Williams to their active roster on Monday and placed rookie Khalil Dorsey on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
The 37-year old defensive back and former Pro Bowler hasn’t played yet this season and took his last rep in a game in the Divisional Round of the playoffs as a member of the Green Bay packers yet was able to wow Baltimore’s brass when he was brought in for a workout last week.
“He was really in very good shape,” Harbaugh said. “He moved well, which is what you look for with a veteran player like that.”
As impressive as it was that Williams was able to check all of the physical boxes, the Ravens coaches are more excited about what he brings to the table from an experience and intellectual standpoint.
“He’s played a long time,” said Harbaugh. “We’re very happy with the fact he’s got so much experience. He’s played all the coverages that you can play. He’s done everything you can do defensively in this league, so we feel like he’ll make a pretty smooth transition into our schemes the way we do it. Very smart guy, very motivated, very determined, wants to play. So we’re excited about it.”
Williams has played in 199 career games and made 153 starts between three different teams but he’s spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers where he made his lone career Pro Bowl bid and helped lead them to a Superbowl victory in 2010.
Ravens Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale has been arguably the happiest camper around the team facility over the past month with the signing of Williams and the trade for Pro Bowl pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue ahead of the October deadline.
Now he has another versatile defensive chess piece in Williams who has played both outside and slot cornerback as well as safety in his decorated career.
Martindale likes to mix and disguise his coverages in an attempt to confuse and pressure opposing quarterbacks which requires highly intelligent players to execute his complex scheme.
“Any time you can bring a veteran in of his caliber to actually plug and play,” said Martindale. “And he’s smart, and he’s tough, just like the other people we were able to bring in. He’s ready to roll, and obviously, it’s a great acquisition that [executive vice president & general manager] Eric [DeCosta] was able to get us this late in the year.”
Williams will be joining a depleted yet still extremely talented secondary at the top of the depth chart. He will rotate with fellow veteran defensive back Jimmy Smith and former undrafted free agent Terrell Bonds at cornerback behind the First-Team All-Pro starting tandem of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters.
