Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

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By John Sigler | Saints Wire

New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams has a bad rap among some fans. It’s because there’s this perception that he plays small in big moments — like his whiffed tackles on deep passes in last season’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. There have been a handful of mistakes in critical moments from the 23-year-old starter, and a vocal contingent in Saints social media circles and fan forums are determined to zero in on those few bad plays against the 2,800-plus other snaps Williams has seen since the Saints drafted him.

To hear them tell it, Williams is an unreliable player who should be traded at the first opportunity. However, the analysts at Pro Football Focus are here to sweep that misconception away. Their snap-by-snap grading proved Williams isn’t just a good player; he’s one of the NFL’s best, ranking at No. 38 on their list of the top 101 players of 2019:

This season saw Marcus Williams return to the level of play that we saw from him as a rookie, and he ended the season with an overall PFF grade of 88.9. ...

https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2020...op-101-grades/

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Sure, I get it... he is great 98% of the time. Our problem is the 2% of the time he sucks come out in absolutely backbreaking moments. I would rather have a guy that gave up a play or 5 here and there but made the big play when it really mattered.

Yes, great, he picked off Winston 20 times in a game that meant nothing, but that sure looks great for PFF stats. I would just settle for him making a tackle in the open field without grabbing a face-mask, or completely missing the tackle and hitting his own guy...

Sad part is I know Williams (friend of friends), I have met him and talked to him. He is a great kid and has a solid head on his shoulders, but man he needs to be clutch when it matters.

For the record I don't want to see him go anywhere, he is young and can develop. He needs to do that before getting a big payday though.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Just my straight forward observation on Marcus ...

He has bad situational awareness & is a poor tackler. As a SAFETY, you must be very good in this area. This is 3 years in the Saints defensive system. I've seen enough games to say his range is good. My greatest fear is that this young guy goes elsewhere and balls like M Jenkins did.

But to B&G's point, he's not clutch (see Thielan catch when he was late) when you have to be clutch.

Dennis Allen? Aaron Glenn ? ... not "coaching him up" perhaps?

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

I'm just seriously disappointed in his overall play. I don't think he's a very good center fielder and is almost always late to the play where he misses the tackle.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

I agree with this, except I'd say it's 50% of the time. He's inconsistent and gets burned when we play decent teams. See the 49ers when they came in and shredded our whole secondary.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Allen needs to be fired. I cannot believe Saints fans still defend him. It's why I say repeatedly - the non-call and other bad calls or non-calls are just a shiny object waved in front of your face. The biggest issue is the guy calling the defense that always craps themselves in crunch time. Payton also deserves criticism for some of his poor game planning, and especially Brees for his poor play in the playoffs the last 3 years.

Spags has 2 rings now. If anyone wants to reply to that with "but he coached the worst defense ever!", and so did Allen! The 2015 Saints broke records of the 2012 team. The 2016 defense gave up more pass TDs than the 2012 team.

We have the talent, we just have a mediocre coach on defense. If they had a better coach, the potential is there for them to be dominant. We saw that in 2018 and in brief parts of 2017 and 2019.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Fake news.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

PFF is not the gospel. You have guys who would never be hired by an NFL team doing 'player grades'

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

I believe the grading in done by persons who are experts in each of the positions. I know former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski is one of the QB graders.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

The great Bruce Gradkowski?

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

That's right. Bruce, not Brad.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

PFF grading.. meh.

"There are lies, there are damn lies, and then there are statistics" - Twain.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

I trust my eyes. He played better this year than last. Still not where he was prior to the Minnesota breakdown but he's getting back to form. Stephone Anthony on the other hand is mind blowing.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

And our other SS Vonn Bell ... IMO he's a must re sign.

Hopefully he's offered a reasonable/fair market deal this off season by the Saints.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Bell really stepped up

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Bell is underrated and rarely ever gets the credit he deserves.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Key word here is "coaches". What is communicated in these situations. Those errors have cost us chances to advance.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Vonn Bell was incredible all season and our D struggled when he got injured.

If its between Vonn and Marcus, then send Williams packing.

Didnt Brees called Marcus "Ed Reed-like" in Training Camp once....

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Lol This is one of my gripes. They both play safety — that’s as close to Ed Reed as he ever will be.

You don’t just throw names around, there’s certain expectations that come with a comparison like that.

Marcus, if for some reason you’re eating lucky charms in your bath robe and reading this...I’m sorry bud. Picking off Jameis Winston isn’t going to put any busts in Canton.

Re: Bounce-back third year earns Marcus Williams a spot among top 40 NFL players
 

Bell is a keeper and Marcus is borderline worth retaining. If we Keep Marcus we still need another free safety to run a two high safety set because Marcus is not going to cover the back end by himself. He is not a true single fielder.