Greg Newsome II key part of Browns secondary upgrades

Browns rookie first-round pick Greg Newsome II has to be the favorite over Greedy Williams to land the starting cornerback spot opposite Denzel Ward. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]

BEREA — I’m betting on Greg Newsome II.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t much to admire about Greedy Williams, or that he doesn’t have a fighting chance to win the Browns starting cornerback job over this year’s first-round pick from Northwestern.

Fighting being the operative word.

While Williams started all 12 games in which he played as a rookie in 2019, the second-round pick from Louisiana State University did not establish himself as the kind of top-level cover man needed on a Super Bowl-contending team.

Browns cornerback Greedy Williams has recovered from an injury that kept him out of the 2020 season but his starting job is in jeopardy in a competition with rookie first-round pick Greg Newsome II. [Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal]

Collectively, the Browns were far from that in the disastrous 6-10 season under one-and-done coach Freddie Kitchens.

In the same number of games, Williams had more tackles (47, seventh on the team) than 2018 Pro Bowler Denzel Ward (44, eighth). But Williams showed his pass coverage skills needed work, recording two breakups to Ward’s 11.

Williams became a fan-favorite but was far from a clear-cut starter as new General Manager Andrew Berry assumed the task of upgrading the roster in 2020.

Then last Aug. 24, Williams suffered nerve damage in his shoulder during a tackling drill. He didn’t know it then, but it ended up costing him the season.

Rooting for a player to come back from a serious injury is one thing. Expecting him to beat out Newsome, whom the Browns were thrilled to see fall to them at No. 26 is another.

Playing in six of Northwestern’s nine games in 2020, Newsome didn’t allow a third-down completion (0 for 9). He ranked first among Big Ten cornerbacks in completion percentage allowed (31.6%). His passer rating allowed (31.7) was first among cornerbacks in the draft class of 2021, according to ProFootballFocus.com, and Newsome was the last of the top four corners selected.

Newsome has the athleticism, skills, and swagger to pair perfectly with Ward.

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Admirably, Williams is not conceding the battle to Newsome.

Williams participated in his first 11-on-11 drills of training camp on Thursday. He considered that a milestone in his comeback.

“The trainers were for sure happy. I wanted to impress them … as long as they were smiling, I was smiling,” Williams said.

But he admitted Friday that even though he’s been cleared for full participation, he’s still working towards getting full strength back in the shoulder.

That indicated the physical part of his comeback isn’t over. It might take him a while to fully feel like himself. Even if that happens, it might not be enough to beat out Newsome.

Drafting Newsome wasn’t just insurance in case Williams wasn’t the same after his injury; Newsome believed he was the best cornerback in the 2021 draft.

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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski compared what Newsome has displayed in the first seven days of camp to the show put on by second-year receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who has been the buzz of Berea. Peoples-Jones is capitalizing on his extra reps as three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. returns from a torn ACL suffered on Oct. 25.

“Similar to Donovan Peoples-Jones, he can run and he runs all day,” Stefanski said of Newsome. “He’s out there on special teams. There is no shortage to what he is doing right now. We are really throwing a lot at him, and he has been able to handle all of it.”

Attitude-wise, Williams has what it takes to prevail. He said he learned something about himself during his months of rehab.

“I’m a fighter. I ain’t going down unless it’s a fight,” Williams vowed. It’s kind of what I figured out about myself. I’m just going to keep fighting through this injury and see how far I get.”

Williams said he has mental pictures from the time he was sidelined. Some he will use as fuel. Some he will try to forget.

“This is a memory for sure. … Coming here, the first year I got a hamstring injury, then the shoulder injury. It’s a dark road, but you’re always going to see light in the dark road. There’s a lot of memories from this injury, but I’m kind of moving past it and getting ready for this season.”

Stefanski knew Williams had a hard time in 2020, but wasn’t with him on that dark road.

“Any time you’re injured and you’re away from the team … it’s hard to go through,” Stefanski said. “He’s kept fighting from the jump. He’s another great example of guys who are faced with adversity, in this case football adversity and injury, and he really overcame it.”

Williams said he was watching the draft, so he’s been steeling himself for the competition with Newsome since April 29. Williams knew being the same player he was in 2019 wouldn’t be enough.

“You’ve got to get better each year. You can’t stay the same in this league. You stay the same, it’s going to get worse for you,” he said. “In the offseason, I put in a lot of work, grinding hard and I’m definitely looking to be a different player this season.”

A slow comeback:Browns CB Greedy Williams still working to recover from shoulder injury

On Friday, Williams was victimized by Peoples-Jones on the play of the day. Williams appeared to be called for holding and quarterback Baker Mayfield lofted the ball over Williams’ head to Peoples-Jones for a deep touchdown.

Williams isn’t the only defensive back Peoples-Jones has torched. But Berry and Stefanski will evaluate the “body of work” when they make decisions on starting jobs and roster spots.

If he’s healthy, Williams’ roster spot isn’t in jeopardy. He’s one of the Browns’ top four cornerbacks; NFL defenses these days need a dependable five. Depth had been one of the issues holding the Browns back until they ended a 17-year playoff drought last season.

Even then, the secondary was rebuilt. Newsome was a key part of that plan, along with the addition of nickel cornerback Troy Hill and safety John Johnson III, both free agents from the Los Angeles Rams.

Optimism about comeback:Browns notebook: GM doesn’t see nerve damage in Greedy Williams’ shoulder as career-threatening

Williams has won over the coaching staff with his work ethic and determination, so proving himself to them is not an issue.

“I think they trust in me. I think they believe in me,” Williams said. “Probably proving that I can do what I do, which is what they’ve seen on my rookie film, and they loved it. They love the tackling. They love everything else. I feel like they believe in me 100%.”

But the starting job opposite Ward will go to the more physically gifted cornerback. The sweat equity and determination shown by Williams in the past last year won’t change that.

I’ll root for a Williams’ comeback that has already made his coach proud. The fight he shows may inspire his teammates this season. But I’m betting with my eyes and my head, not my heart.

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