Report: CB Joejuan Williams Learning to Play Safety This Offseason
Bill Belichick always values versatility in the players on his roster, as it allows him and his coaching staff to be more flexible when game planning each and every week. Because of that, it appears second-year cornerback Joejuan Williams - who received very limited playing time during his rookie season - is learning how to play all positions in the secondary this offseason.
According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, who was told "by those close to the situation," Williams - who was New England's 2019 second-round pick - is learning how to play safety this offseason in an attempt to be a more versatile chess piece in the Patriots secondary.
"After playing 82 defensive snaps as a rookie, in part thanks to a well-stocked cornerback depth chart headlined by Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, a challenge has been presented to Williams this offseason," Reiss wrote Sunday morning. Essentially, according to those close to the situation, it can be boiled down to this: Can you be the jack-of-all-trades in the secondary?
"...But with Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones and J.C. Jackson locked in at cornerback, Williams essentially served as an insurance policy. And with everyone returning in 2020, Williams is working to expand his versatility, where he could also fill some safety-type responsibilities alongside Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, 2020 second-round pick Kyle Dugger and free-agent signee Adrian Phillips, among others."
Williams, because of his size, can be a unique asset to New England's defense moving forward. If he is able to be effective as a safety as well as a cornerback, the Patriots will have yet another player that can play up near the line of scrimmage against bigger-bodied pass catchers, or can drop back and play deep.
Belichick's defense is quickly becoming one of the most versatile units in the entire NFL, which will allow his coaching staff to be very creative in 2020.
