It didn't take long for Cary Williams to see the difference in Seattle's secondary.
Signed as a free agent this offseason, the former Eagles cornerback talked Thursday about the Legion of Boom's obsessive "attention to detail."
"They talk about being more patient," Williams said, per the team's official website. "There's a lot of intricate things that are different than other places. They're more focused on the details, like I said, and it's an emphasis on those things and making sure you're focused on those small details on every snap."
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is on record saying Williams was signed because game-tape study showed the "star coverage" he was playing against top wideouts as a member of the Ravens and Eagles. Those better moments, though, were mixed with a smattering of on-field torchings. Especially in Philly, where Williams and Bradley Fletcher were too often taken advantage of last season.
Expected to replace the departed Byron Maxwell, Williams has big shoes to fill in a secondary that could open the year minus nickel cornerback Jeremy Lane (arm, knee) and cover man Tharold Simon (shoulder). Coach Pete Carroll, though, said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Williams has stepped right in.
"Cary's doing everything," Carroll said. "He looks very much the part of the kind of play that we anticipate on his first day against somebody. But still, he gets it. He's smart, he's really dedicated, he hasn't missed a trick. He's been on everything."
Unlike in Philly, Williams will benefit from teaming with Richard Sherman and the NFL's top safety duo in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Now part of the NFL's nastiest pass defense, Williams is bound to boost his Pro Football Focus ranking from 2014, which saw the corner ranked 49th among his peers -- five spots behind Maxwell.
Said Carroll: "It's early and all that, but I anticipate he's going to play like we saw on film, if not better. That would be good enough to help us play winning football."
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