Tramon Williams to Return Punts for Packers
Mike McCarthy says Tramon Williams will return punts for the Packers.
In his press conference Mike McCarthy announced that indeed Tramon Williams will be returning punts this season. This excites me not only because I mentioned that the Packers punt returns would likely involve Williams, but point blank he is the best man for the job.
I myself couldn't be more sick of listening to people bitch about injury concerns. Last time I checked, you take your best players and put them on the field and let them play. Tramon Williams has returned punts, and done it well. I don't think it's a stretch to say he even did it as well as Blackmon.
As soon as the Packers start playing to stay healthy instead of to win games it defeats the purpose. I fully support this move, especially over signing some unknown hack to field kicks with your best shot at a championship in years.
Let her rip.
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Comments (28)
September 06, 2010 at 12:20 pm
I agree Alex. I would like to see Jennings back there before Williams though, but either one is a good move. Special teams are indeed important, and the Packers are putting their best guys for the job out there to make things happen.
September 07, 2010 at 08:07 pm
Jennings is not quick enough. He is fast enough but not quick enough. It takes him to long to get started. He's a long strider which works o.k. as a wideout, but it does not work on punt returns.
September 06, 2010 at 12:21 pm
i agree but sometime i feel like williams is trying to hard and just makes himself look like a fool but he does have a good vision down field on punt returns i just dont see why when he's been playing D then they want him to try and make a punt return for the offense? i think he should be on kick return duties instead
September 06, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Per NFL.COM:
T. Williams:
PR:
2007: 8 returns. 19.7 avg. 1 td.
2009: 13 returns. 10.4 avg. 0 tds.
W. Blackmon:
PR:
2007: 8 returns. 13.3 avg. 1 td.
2008: 36 returns. 11.1 avg. 2 tds
2009: 3 returns. 3.7 avg. 0 tds.
T. Williams is as good as W. Blackmon IMHO. Actually, when he was fully committed to it, he was slightly better.
I completely agree with you, Alex. Yeah, I'm not a T. Williams fan, I do realize that the dropoff from him to Shields/Underwood/Lee/Bush is considerable, but let's not pretend we're losing Al Harris or Charles Woodson in here. Williams is not a difference maker. And even if he was, like you said on twitter, plenty of key guys, even Jerry Rice, returned kicks while playing on D or O, and won a SB while doing so.
Kick returns are a major part of your team. Tramon Williams, IMHO, hasn't garnered enough status to be relieved from return duties.
Though the dropoff exists, our season doesn't hinge on him, like it does on Woodson or Jennings.
You don't plan on crippling your ST based on the possibility of Tramon Williams getting hurt.
September 06, 2010 at 11:49 pm
our season doesnt hinge on him???.. until al harris gets back our season DOES hinge on him.. he is the only proven corner we have... our defense is very dependent on corner play.. it doesnt matter if u get pressure on the QB or not if your corner gets beat every play.. so yes tramon is a key part of the defense.. even when he was the nickle corner he plays an EXTREMELY important role in the defense capers likes to run... you talk like jennings makes or breaks the season.. but losing morgan burnett or james jones.. wouldnt cost us some games.. you could not be more rong in this statement every starter is important they all play key roles woodson cant play his game if he has to cover bush and shields ass the whole time... jennings cant run his routes if jones isnt there to keep the defense from going into double coverage on jennings.. every player that starts is important.. and at a position where we have no real experience on the bench losing tramon would be a fatal blow to our defense
September 07, 2010 at 09:51 am
I may be "rong", but you're tripping if you think, from what Tramon has shown so far, that he's not replaceable by the youngers. Like I said, there's a dropoff, but Tramon doesn't make the kind of impact to differ in the W-L column. Not yet.
September 07, 2010 at 08:11 pm
Cover Shields with a layer of stick em and send his a$$ out there.
September 06, 2010 at 12:38 pm
BTW, great to have you "back", Alex, after a period of relative inactivity. Your work is really appreciated, and, I gotta say, it kind of leaves a void when there aren't any new articles. Also like the idea of voting on your points.
Alex Tallitsch
September 06, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Been a busy couple of weeks. Thanks.
September 06, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Looks like you and Aaron are switching places. SOOOO slow on CheeseheadTV these days.
September 06, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I am not sure how much I can agree with that sentiment. If one of our TE's was able to run back kickoffs and punts, I think I could agree with you, but to have a position (CB) where an injury to our staring CB could greatly harm our defense would be too much to lose. The same goes for throwing Brandon Jackson out there in my opinion. Tramon would not be returning punts 5 or 6 times better than Nelson. It is not worth the injury risk.
I don't feel as if this means that I want the Packers to coddle their players to try and protect them from injury, but I definitely feel that the risk of injury is much higher for those that play special teams versus those that play offense or defense.
September 06, 2010 at 08:55 pm
Who do you want to see back there? Jordy?
September 06, 2010 at 11:42 pm
yes fitz.. to be honest why do we care who returns kicks? as long as they can catch the kick and get 5 er 10 yards WHO CARES.. our offense is ridiculous.. injury risk not worth it when the offense doesnt need the assistance..
September 07, 2010 at 12:59 am
You obviously place a lower value on a quality return game than I, which is OK. Wrong, but OK.
Would we have won the SB in '96 without Desmond? Possibly, but I sure am glad we didn't have to find out.
"our offense is ridiculous"
True that. But an extra 5 or six yards of field position to start a drive will do nothing to hinder the O, that's a fact. It's those few yards that can be the difference in a close game. Our O is off the chain, but don't think we won't be in some close games. Tramon has the potential to break one, Jordy does not. Fact.
September 07, 2010 at 07:21 am
Yesterday I watched the replay of last years super bowl. I never did watch the game as I was working.
However I remember seeing a stat during the end of the game. It showed the average starting positions of the offenses. For the Saints it was something like the 30 and for the Colts it was something like the 11. Dont quote me on that, but the difference was very noticeable.
Even with a very potent offense continually asking them to march 85+ yards to score is putting a lot of extra stress on them. And on the flip side it helps the defense out, especially if they play a bend and dont break style.
September 06, 2010 at 06:25 pm
This is a knock-on-wood moment.
I agree that we need to put the best team out there week in and week out, but I still think about Woodson as a punt returner getting injured a couple seasons back.
Certainly has me concerned, but this is a "Win it All" type of season.
Go Pack Go.
September 06, 2010 at 08:54 pm
Like the move.
As much as I like Jordy he's just not comfortable returning punts, or kicks for that matter. Is there an injury risk? Sure. But when you start being conservative with personnel to avoid injuries, it seems like that's when they occur. Football isn't for the squeamish, injuries are a large part of the game. You put your team in the best position to succeed, Tramon returning punts does that.
GBP 4 LIFE
September 06, 2010 at 08:58 pm
FITZCORE1252, youre right man. Jordy was definitely a little uncomfortable back there on punts. I remember now.
September 06, 2010 at 11:40 pm
i agree.. except for this is special teams.. u dont not play ur starters for fear they might get hurt....but on special teams it seems to be a pointless risk. nelson isnt great at returning.. true.. but he gets the job done and is someone that could get hurt without costing this teams some Ws and if tramon got hurt we would lose games because of it.. risky and stupid this team has a lack luster special teams group and has seem its returners get hurt before.. i dunno why you make this decision
September 07, 2010 at 12:42 am
Couldn't disagree more with this - "except for this is special teams.. u dont not play ur starters for fear they might get hurt….but on special teams it seems to be a pointless risk."
Special teams is the thing holding us back from being a totally well rounded team. People underestimate the value of ST's, but how many games have you seen turn on a big ST's play? A TON! It's a huge part of the game man, huge. If Tramon gets hurt returning a punt, so be it. I respect Mike for having the balls to put him back there.
FYI, Tramon's take on getting injured - “I’ve never been the type of guy who takes the conservative way out,” Williams said. “In my book, that’s the way people get hurt, trying to be safe. Just go out and play.”
F'in A. Just go out and play... let the chips fall where they may. What's that you say? I'm going to go sell some hay by the bay. Good day.
GBP 4 LIFE
September 07, 2010 at 08:19 pm
We all get worked up about who should be the returner on special teams. This has been going on for how long now? If you can point at one area that TT and McCarthy are really weak at it is this. Why do they keep re-cycling special teams coaches? Do some research,pony up some cash and fix it. They been pulling a Jon Ryan on us in this area since they took over.
September 06, 2010 at 08:55 pm
Ya know, ITS ON!! If MM and the Guys think the best thing is to have Tramon bring it on, then who am I too say otherwise. However, I think Jordy could do an at least decent job. Lets hope they have one more string to pull for another CB of quality contention!!!
September 06, 2010 at 09:54 pm
You can't play to not get injuries bottom line. If Tramon is the best man for the job he should be there. They should give him plenty of reps at practice to get his mind on the job and to help avoid getting injured.
September 06, 2010 at 11:37 pm
rong... u do play to avoid injuries.. injuries make our break your season.. when your a team with super bowl potenial.. and a offense that can score from anywhere on the field we really dont need a good return game at all. why risk gettin your starter hurt.. we have no depth until harris comes back.. shields aint ready to start bush is terrible pat lee has shown me nothing to make me think he isnt terrible....... starters dont play special teams during the season for a reason thats what the 2nd and 3rd string are for
September 07, 2010 at 12:47 am
If you play to 'not get hurt', it's innevitible you will get hurt. Injuries are fluky, you can't predict or avoid them. Maybe we should let Flynn start... minimizes the risk to A-Rod, save him for the playoffs. Oh wait, if we don't use our best options there will be no playoffs...
GBP 4 LIFE
September 06, 2010 at 11:34 pm
if al harris was healthy and playing.. id be all for this move.. but u dont play ur starting corner on special teams.. if he gets hurt what on earth is our secondary gonna do? r we gonna have BUSH?? or shields? shields made some big plays i wouldnt want him starting.. we have no real depth at corner.. we have a lot of bodies nd only 1 of them in my opinion has shown any spark to ever become worth keeping on the roster.. so therefore i think this is really really dumb.. and is a big risk.. have nelson return punts.. he isnt bad at it id rather have a 4th string WR than our 2nd corner out there.. and when it comes to special teams.. u do play to avoid injuries.. our offense can score from anywhere on the field who gives a crap how good our return game is? as long as no one returns any kicks for TDS on us our special teams has done its job
September 07, 2010 at 12:49 am
"if he gets hurt what on earth is our secondary gonna do?"
What do we do if Tramon blows out a knee in the 1st quarter on a 5 yard out route covering Maclin??? You can't play scared and expect to be in the hunt in Jan. PERIOD.
September 07, 2010 at 10:25 am
andrew harman, please, look at the NFC divisional game, in 97, SF x GB, and tell me that we win that game without Desmond Howard and the ST. NO WAY. The turf was terrible, it was hard as hell to score, and Desmond returns the first punt for a TD, and the next one to the redzone. 14 0 Packers. Then, it's a lot easier.
ST is crucial. If we have better field position in the AZ game, if we make that hard FG, we win that game.