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The Eagles came into this free agency period with arguably their biggest hole at corner. Both starting CBs from last season were released and there was literally no one left on the roster with any real starting experience. So to fill that hole, the team signed CB Cary Williams, who has started every game the past two seasons for the reigning Super Bowl champion Ravens.
When asked who he modeled his game after, Williams talked about one of those starters from last year he'll be replacing.
"You might not like this, but I model myself after Nnamdi," he said. "He didn't have much success here, but I don't plan on going down that path. But I always see myself as him because he's a taller, leaner guy, and a guy that I actually liked with a skill set."
"When he was in Oakland, everybody in here knows he was a force out there. As a guy growing up watching the guy, that's the guy who I watched was Nnamdi. Unfortunately he wasn't able to duplicate that success here, but I plan on doing otherwise."
The Nnamdi from Oakland is someone all CBs would be smart to model themselves after. Every CB would want to be Nnamdi from Oakland. We only wish Nnamdi was Nnamdi from Oakland...
One way Williams has clearly not modeled his game after Nnamdi is his general on field demeanor. He's earned a reputation as a bit of a hot head in recent years thanks to incidents just like the one he was involved in against the Eagles last season.
Williams says he wants to cut down on the scraps.
"I think they're all a part of the game. It's a learning process that we all go through, and I think that that situation that happened last year was something that I could learn from. Something I can grow from and eliminate that from my game, but still have that competitive edge and still carry that same toughness out there each and every Sunday."
Still, Williams says there has to be a balance because physicality is important.
"I think it's very important. Intimidation is huge in this game. I think it's one thing to intimidate, but also to go out there and play physical each and every week, week‑in and week‑out, guys look at film, and they notice those things and take those things to heart."
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