The Green Bay Packers are finally ready to pony up for cornerback Tramon Williams, who is having his best season in his first as a full-time starter.
According to the Journal Sentinel, the Packers have offered Williams a contract that will pay him greater than $5 million per year. Williams is currently playing on a one-year restricted free agent tender worth $3.043 million.
The new deal will reportedly pay Williams more than Al Harris, the player he’s replaced in the starting lineup. Harris’ deal is worth $5.418 million annually.
Williams can probably expect a signing bonus of between $10 million and $12 million.
If the Packers are unable to sign Williams, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent after the season, providing there is a labor agreement in place.
“Whatever happens happens, but I want to be in Green Bay,” Williams said Friday. “Me waiting until unrestricted, I’m not into that. If it happens to go that way, then it does.”
The Packers are wise to try to lock up Williams long term. He’s having a Pro Bowl caliber year and has outplayed last season’s defensive player of the year, Charles Woodson.
Of course, they would have been wiser to take care of Williams over the summer, when he was obviously unhappy he didn’t receive a long-term offer from the club. Now that he’s playing lights out, Williams’ price tag is going to be a lot higher.
Williams and his agent are said to be considering the Packers’ offer.
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