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Cornerback Greedy Williams didn’t work out as a second-round pick for the Cleveland Browns. But Bleacher Report’s NFL staff encouraged the Pittsburgh Steelers to take a flier on the 26-year-old for the rest of the 2023 season.
“Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace have taken a lot of reps this season but aren’t long-term solutions,” the Bleacher Report staff wrote.
“Someone like Greedy Williams might be worth looking into. Williams is a former second-round pick with a 6’2″, 185-pound frame and just turned 26 years old.”
The Browns selected Williams at No. 46 overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
In four seasons with Cleveland, Williams posted 99 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, 12 pass defenses and 2 interceptions in 39 games. He made 21 starts, 12 of which came during his 2019 rookie season.
How Could CB Greedy Williams Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers appear to have found a top cornerback in rookie Joey Porter Jr. But the team still has a need opposite Porter.
Patrick Peterson has started 12 of 13 games for the Steelers at cornerback this season, but turns 34 years old next summer.
While Peterson is signed through the 2024 season, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Steelers to find a replacement to move Peterson into the slot or more into a reserve role.
In all likelihood, that potential Peterson replacement will have to come in the draft. But the Steelers could view adding Williams now as an early 2024 audition for the 26-year-old.
According to Pro Football Focus, Williams was a decent run defender in two of his four years with the Browns. He also did well in coverage during the 2021 season.
Overall, though, he failed to live up to his second-round hype. The Browns allowed Williams to leave in free agency after his rookie contract expired, and Williams didn’t make an NFL team out of 2023 training camp.
This past offseason, he signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Eagles released Williams on August 19. He has yet to sign with another team.
Steelers Giving Up on 2023 Season?
Adding a still relatively young and former high draft pick is never a bad idea. But Bleacher Report’s NFL staff argued that the reason the Steelers should sign Williams is because the team should already be looking ahead to 2024.
“The Steelers’ playoff hopes are quickly circling the drain,” the BR staff wrote. “They might be shifting some of their focus to finding solutions for the 2024 roster as the season progresses, so it would make sense to bring in some young players for the final stretch of the season.”
There’s not a very good chance of that happening.
Despite two straight embarrassing losses, the Steelers are back in playoff positioning after the results in Week 14. The Steelers will not be making any moves over the next month that could hurt their playoff chances.
That’s especially the case with pressure to win mounting on head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Bleacher Report staff is correct that Peterson and Levi Wallace aren’t long-term solutions at cornerback. But Williams doesn’t present short-term upside.
If the Steelers sign Williams, it will likely be with the understanding that he won’t play meaningful snaps unless multiple injuries occur. Even then, the Steelers aren’t likely to trust a late-season signing until (and only if) the end of the regular season officially becomes meaningless.
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