Browns confident in Williams stepping up at CB
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a defensive performance as dominant as any coach Kevin Stefanski has ever experienced, but there is some concern on that side of the ball.
Rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II suffered a calf injury in Sunday's 26-6 win over the Chicago Bears. If he misses time, the Browns would need cornerback Greedy Williams to rise to the occasion beginning Sunday on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
“Greedy's a starting corner in this league, either way,” Browns nickelback Troy Hill said. “We've got depth at this position. Y'all saw when he came in there, he stepped up and did his thing. There ain't no worry if Greedy's got to come in.”
In 2019, Williams started all 12 games in which he appeared as a rookie second-round selection from LSU. But he sat out all of last season after suffering nerve damage in a shoulder during a training camp practice.
This past summer, Williams competed with Newsome for a starting job but basically had no chance to prevail after suffering a groin injury Aug. 22.
Behind Newsome on the depth chart, Williams has logged 16 snaps on defense this season, including eight of 45 (18%) against the Bears. Newsome played 37 snaps before leaving the game with 13:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Would Williams be ready for a full workload if necessary?
“Yes, he would definitely be ready if need be,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski then went out of his way to praise Williams for his performance on special teams. He has logged 30 specialteams snaps this season, including 13 on Sunday.