Denzel Ward spoke Wednesday of visions of a cornerback tandem comprised of he and rookie Greedy Williams.
It sounds even more possible after hearing Williams speak about his acclimation to the pro game.
Sure, it's only May and the Browns are working through the instruction-laden organized team activities period, but Williams isn't flummoxed by the defensive scheme of coordinator Steve Wilks. The reason? He's been devouring tape every morning before practice.
"In college, me and my coach, we always were at it in the film room, so I kind of understood more in the film room," Williams said during an appearance on Cleveland Browns Daily this week. "Just coming here and just translating that over, me and (defensive backs) coach (Dewayne Walker), we in there every morning, 6:45, we in there every morning. We're just talking football the whole time, probably like a good 45 minutes of straight football. That helped me out very well and I picked up on the playbook pretty fast. I think I'm ready to rock and roll."
Check out photos from the fifth day of OTA practices
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (65), Safety Damarious Randall (23), Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (98) and Linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Mack Wilson (51) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Defensive tackle Trevon Coley (93) and Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (65) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Wide receiver Damion Ratley (18) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Damarious Randall (23) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (98) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Damarious Randall (23) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Wide receiver Jaelen Strong (10) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Wide receiver Rashard Higgins (81) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Offensive tackle Desmond Harrison (69) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Guard Eric Kush (72) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Stump Mitchell during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
D'Ernest Johnson and Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Running Back Kareem Hunt (27), Running Back Nick Chubb (24), Trayone Grey and D'Ernest Johnson during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Running Back Nick Chubb (24) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Tight end Stephen Carlson (89) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Tight end Demetrius Harris (88) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Wide receiver Rashard Higgins (81) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Sione Takitaki (44) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Joe Schobert (53) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (65) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Genard Avery (55) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Genard Avery (55) and Defensive end Chris Smith (50) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (98) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Punter Jamie Gillan (7) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Damarious Randall (23) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Damarious Randall (23) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Tigie Sankoh (40) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Joe Schobert (53) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Linebacker Adarius Taylor (57) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Damarious Randall (23) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Sheldrick Redwine (33) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Kicker Greg Joseph (17) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Wide Receiver Ishmael Hyman (16) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Center Kyle Kalis (68) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Safety Eric Murray (22) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the fifth practice of OTAs on May 22, 2019.
Understanding the new scheme in which a player is placed is key for a rookie's chances of success. The quicker you learn, the better your chances to get on the field early and often. Williams has found he fits well into what Wilks is teaching.
"His defense, I feel like I adjust to it very well and he puts us in great positions to make plays," Williams said. "His defense is nice."
Another part of the adjustment process is teaching the mind which ingrained techniques need to be forgotten, and which need to be added. A lot of that starts with the feet, especially for cornerback, where one missed step could result in catastrophic defeat. That's not just true for rookies, but all players learning under a new coaching staff. Williams understands the importance of being a technique sponge.
"You gotta definitely take the technique that they telling you serious," Williams said, "because trying something else will get you killed out there."
Williams has a good group from whom he can learn: Ward, Terrance Mitchell, Phillip Gaines and a host of veterans with cornerback experience, such as current safety Damarious Randall. He'll also be able to talk trash with those teammates as competitions heat up in the summer.
For now, though, he's all about asking questions and talking ball. He might need that wisdom come August.
