BEREA: It’s not every Sunday night that a 10-year NFL veteran goes home after a game to watch film on a tablet and immediately review his performance from earlier in the afternoon.
But Tramon Williams couldn’t wait to see how he fared in his first game at safety.
“I pulled out the film and I looked at it and I looked at it, and I was like, ‘Man, I look pretty good back there,’ ” Williams said Thursday.
The performance reinvigorated him.
“I thought I needed to make a couple adjustments, obviously, but the coaches were pleased with it, I was pleased with it, especially the first time doing it,” Williams said. “So definitely will be something in the future to look at.”
Now the longtime cornerback is thinking about the possibility of extending his career by switching to safety full time.
“How can you not?” Williams said.
If he were to convert full time next season, could it add longevity to his career?
“I wouldn’t see why not,” Williams said. “I just like being around the ball. I want to be around the ball. I like to see the ball, and at this point in my career at the safety position probably, you would definitely be able to see the ball. I like picks.
“I’m open to anything. I just want to be around the ball, you know? I like getting the ball. I think I can be an asset at it, and we’ll see in the future.”
It’s not uncommon for cornerbacks to switch to safety so they can play longer. Some have failed while attempting the transition. Others have succeeded, most notably nine-time Pro Bowler Charles Woodson and Pro Football Hall of Fame members Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott.
Williams, 33, happens to be a good friend of Charles Woodson. They played together for the Green Bay Packers when Woodson moved from corner to safety. He retired after the 2015 season at age 39 and is headed to the hall of fame.
Williams also played with three-time Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins. They spoke on the phone this week after Williams reached out for advice.
“He just kind of gave me some pointers here and there, what to look for, what’s a little bit different than corner,” said Williams, who signed with the Browns last year and is under contract through 2017. “And I took it, tried to bring it to the field.”
Williams played 43-of-71 snaps (61 percent) at safety in Sunday’s 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. All of his playing time came in the nickel package.
“He did a good job,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “He is comfortable back there. He is just transitioning to another role. I keep calling him old man, and he goes out there and he competes with these young guys like you would not believe. He did a good job last week. He has had a good week of practice. We are looking forward to watching him play back there.”
Williams is expected to stay in his new role Sunday when the Browns (0-13) visit the Buffalo Bills (6-7).
The genesis of the position change is related to injuries. The Browns were short on safeties after Jordan Poyer suffered a lacerated kidney Oct. 16 against the Tennessee Titans, so Williams began practicing in a different spot. Then rookie safety Derrick Kindred suffering a broken ankle during the recent bye-week vacation prompted Williams to debut at safety against the Bengals.
“Mentally it’s more taxing because you’ve got to be the quarterback of the defense, get guys lined up and things like that,” Williams said. “Physically, it’s not really a problem at all.”
The greatest challenge, Williams said, is proving he can be physical enough in the run game.
“You’ve still got to get dirty, man,” he said with a laugh. “You’ve got to make sure you have the right run fits because now you’re in the run game a little bit more.
“Your mind is going to change and you’re going to say, ‘OK, I’m going to have to get a little bit more physical today.’ That’s all it really is.”
Punishment doled out
The NFL announced Thursday it suspended Browns backup left guard Alvin Bailey without pay for the next two games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Bailey will be eligible to return to the active roster on Christmas Day after the Browns host the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 24. He has a base salary of $1 million this season, and the suspension will cost him $117,647.
Bailey pleaded no contest to operating a vehicle impaired and was found guilty Nov. 3 in North Royalton Mayor’s Court. The suspension is a result of the OVI.
When police arrested Bailey on Sept. 26 in North Royalton, he had a blood-alcohol content of .147 and officers found marijuana in his pickup truck, according to the police report. Bailey told police he had been drinking on the team plane after the Browns played the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 25 and later continued at Panini’s Bar and Grill in Strongsville. The Browns and the NFL prohibit alcohol on team flights.
Police cited Bailey for OVI, speeding, driving an unsafe vehicle (cracked windshield), drug abuse, drug paraphernalia and failure to comply. Everything but the OVI was dismissed.
Bailey, 25, signed with the Browns in the offseason after spending the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks. He has started five games this season.
New guy in town
Four teams submitted waiver claims for rookie running back Darius Jackson, according to NFL Network. The Browns were awarded him off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday.
“It shows that a lot of teams were interested in me and believed in me,” Jackson said, “and that’s all I needed.”
Hue Jackson said the Browns were attracted to his versatility.
“He can catch the ball, he can run with the ball and he has been a contributor on special teams,” Hue Jackson said. “We are always trying to find young talent that can do more than one thing and that can add and play a different role on our team than just the traditional running back. He has that skill set.”
Darius Jackson, a sixth-round draft pick from Eastern Michigan, had been inactive all season for the Cowboys (11-2).
“I’m very eager,” he said. “Sitting for 13 straight games, I was a part of something special, but obviously I was geeked to get on the field. So if I get that opportunity, I’m going to be beyond excited.”
Roster move
The Browns signed undrafted rookie defensive lineman Trevon Coley to their practice squad.
Coley, 6-foot-1 and 310 pounds, previously spent time on Washington’s practice squad this season.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.