The competition for the No. 2 starting cornerback job in Baltimore was expected to be one of the best of the offseason.
Cary Williams started all 16 games for last year's fourth-ranked pass defense. Super-talented, first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith is nipping at his heels after growing from his rookie year.
Yet through Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp, Williams has had a backseat in the battle, forced to watch it mostly from the sideline as he rehabilitates his surgically-repaired hip.
Smith, meanwhile, has been taking all the snaps with the first-team.
While Williams said it's been difficult to have to sit and watch his teammates play and have fun, he isn't worried about falling behind in the competition for the starting gig.
"I'm not even worried about what Jimmy's doing," Williams said at the conclusion of minicamp.
"We're going to compete eventually. We're just going to go out there and compete and give it our all. It doesn't matter who's No. 1, whose No. 2 and who's coming off the bench."
In a pass-happy league that often trots out three wide receivers, Webb, Smith and Williams are still expected to get a lot of playing time no matter what.
While every player wants to be a starter, competition isn't taken personally between the two.
Williams said he and Smith have gotten close over the past year. They, as well as Lardarius Webb, even went on a trip to Las Vegas this spring.
"We're great teammates, great friends," Williams said. "We learned a lot about each other during the season, during the offseason and this season."
Williams has been slowly returning from his injury. He participated in individual drills throughout minicamp, working on dropping in coverage and cutting back to the ball. He said he feels good coming out of breaks, but just can't accelerate to top speed as he normally would.
The fifth-year veteran, who this offseason signed a second-round tender, said everybody's expectation is that he will be 100 percent by the time training camp begins on July 25th.
"I can't wait to get out there," Williams said. "But I'm going to take it as slow as I need to and remain patient."
