Tag: Sam Williams

Cowboys DE to serve 3-game suspension while on injured reserve

From @ToddBrock24f7: Sam Williams was arrested in August 2023 on marijuana and weapons charges. He’ll forfeit game checks for Weeks 8 through 10 of this season.

The NFL is adding insult- and a costly punishment- to injury for Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams.

Williams has been suspended three games without pay for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, according to a Monday announcement made by the Cowboys. Williams was already on injured reserve with an ACL and MCL tear suffered during training camp and will not play at all this season.

The suspension went into effect prior to Sunday night’s game versus the 49ers; the former second-round draft pick out of Mississippi will also miss game checks for Week 9’s game in Atlanta and Week 10’s home meeting with the Eagles. He will be eligible for official reinstatement following the Philadelphia game.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The suspension follows a lengthy investigation for August 2023 charges of marijuana possession and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Williams, now 25, was arrested less than three weeks before the regular season opener but was nevertheless able to appear in all 18 of the team’s games (including playoffs) last year.

Williams will lose a total of $211,807 in salary as a result of the suspension but will not have to miss any games once he returns from his injury.

Next year will be Williams’s fourth season with the Cowboys.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01jb7fynfxjn90013pwe playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01jb7fynfxjn90013pwe/01jb7fynfxjn90013pwe-4b32586df7e57ac4c5fb4937b8f48e41.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Trade? Haason Reddick among 5 NFL edge rushers Cowboys should consider after Parsons, Lawrence injuries

Reddick is the most famous name, but there’s also a former Mike Zimmer draft pick who may be available in Minnesota. | From @KDDrummondNFL

It could be worse, but it is absolutely bad for the Dallas Cowboys. Following the snapping of a two-game losing streak on Thursday, Cowboys Wire’s headline hinted there may not be much joy despite another beating of the rival New York Giants. “Cowboys hope winning battle vs Giants, 20-15, didn’t cost them much more via injury,” it read. Well, it did. MRIs revealed that three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons suffered a high-ankle sprain when he was landed on late in the game. To make matters worse, four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence had exited in the third quarter and was seen getting the bottom of his foot taped with what has now been deemed a multiple-week foot injury.

That’s two starting edge rushers out for an undetermined stretch after the team already lost key reserve Sam Williams for the season during training camp. Things are dire and it may lead the front office to try and get some help from outside the organization.

Earlier in the day, anticipating this news, a list of 10 street free agents was put together. But those guys are on the street for a reason and there may not be much return there. It might take looking to other team’s rosters in order to stop the bleeding. So who exactly is available, or could be for the right price? A quick poll of NFL Wire editors about where their respective teams’ rosters stood revealed four names they thought their clubs would deem expendable for the right price. The conversation though starts with a player who has already asked to be traded from his current club.

Haason Reddick, NY Jets

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Pro-football-reference.com

Reddick was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New York Jets over the summer, in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. Reddick hasn’t stepped foot inside the Jets facilities, holding out the entire training camp and regular season. He even demanded to be traded again in August after the two sides failed to rework his contract.

Reddick has been accruing fines and is weeks away from having his contract toll to 2025, which means he’ll be locked into the Jets for 2025 under the same terms if he doesn’t report by a deadline. It appears he feels slighted by the Jets so it’s unclear whether or not he’d play under his current contract for another team, but the Cowboys have the cap room to take on the final 14 weeks of his agreement, sitting over $25 million in the black after the extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini laid out a scenario where Reddick’s reps appear to have hinted he’d like to return to Philly (via Bleacher Report), but would he take a trip to Dallas also? There are questions, of course.

If Reddick were willing to play without a new deal, would the Jets acquiesce? Would a 2026 third rounder or worth do the trick? How long of a ramp-up period would be required for a player who hasn’t worked out with a team all year? How long does Dallas think they’ll be without Parsons and Lawrence? Does the front office care more about winning in 2024 or cap space to carry over? In the likelihood those questions can’t be adequately addressed, there are some other options to explore.

Poach Candidate: San Okuyinonu, San Francisco 49ers

(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

Via Kyle Madison of Niners Wire: “Sam Okuayinonu on SF practice squad. Had a sack last week.”

Okuayinonu stands 6-foot-1, 269 pounds and has been in the league since 2022, starting with the Tennessee Titans.

Trade Candidate: James Houston, DE, Detroit Lions

Lions linebacker James Houston

Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire: “He’s on the 53 (healthy scratch weekly) but the Lions would certainly listen on James Houston.”

It appears that the 6-foot-1, 245 third-year player is caught behind a ton of talent and hasn’t been able to break into the rotation since being a sixth-round pick in 2022.

Trade Candidate: Pat Jones II, Minnesota Vikings

John Jones-Imagn Images

Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire: “Pat Jones II is on the active roster but the Vikings are deep enough they may entertain trade talks for him (4 sacks through the first three weeks).”

The fourth-year pro stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds and is actually an original draft pick of current Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, going in the third round in 2021. He has already matched his career high in sacks in a season with four.

Trade Candidates: Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning, Denver Broncos

Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15). Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Jon Heath, Broncos Wire: “Baron Browning has three more games on IR. Once he returns, Denver will have a surplus with Browning, Cooper, Bonitto, Elliss and Tillman. I think they’d definitely trade Bonitto, and once healthy, Browning too.”

Bonitto, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and now in his third season in the league, has a sack on the season after notching eight last year. He was a second-round pick in 2022.

Browning, a third-round pick from 2021, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. He had 4.5 sacks last year after five in 2022.

Can Carl Lawson fill the old Dante Fowler role on the Cowboys defense?

Carl Lawson may fit neatly into Dante Fowler’s vacated role as pass rushing specialist. | From @ReidDHanson

When Dante Fowler left Dallas in free agency, it was seen as a blessing in disguise to many. It wasn’t because Fowler was a poor player or poor teammate in the locker room – quite the contrary – it’s just Fowler was a bit of a progress stopper to various young and ascending pass rushers on the Cowboys. His opportunities were opportunities that could be going elsewhere.

In 2023 for example, Fowler only played 65 snaps on running downs. 206 of his 275 snaps were in pass rushing situations. While other players were grinding out the season taking whatever snaps they could get, Fowler was getting the golden opportunities where he could pin his ears back and go hunting quarterbacks. He performed fine in this role tallying four sacks and 12 pressures, but it was hard not to wonder what someone like Sam Williams could do with those same golden opportunities.

For a brief moment it appeared Cowboys fans would finally get a chance to see that happen, until of course Williams was lost to a season-ending knee injury early in training camp. To compensate for the loss the Cowboys signed veteran pass rusher Carl Lawson. Now, instead of a young ascending player taking over Fowler’s glamorous role as pass-rushing specialist, the Cowboys potentially have Lawson on roster to take on coveted assignment.

Lawson certainly looks the part.

Strength and conditioning have never been his problem. At age 29 he’s one of the most technically sound and physically fit edge players in the league. Finally healthy after a nightmarish 2023 campaign, he’s looking to make a big impact in 2024 for the Cowboys. If he acquires Fowler’s premium opportunities, there’s no reason to think he can’t bounce back here late in his career and duplicate Fowler’s numbers from last season.

The trickledown effect is significant. It will allow the Cowboys to use the rookie Marshawn Kneeland to his strengths rather than to cover the defense’s weaknesses. Kneeland is an extremely well-rounded player but he is unpolished as a pass rusher. He can be used in obvious passing situations, he’s just not the ideal solution.

Chauncey Golston is another player who can factor into the mix at defensive end. The fourth-year player has split time between defensive tackle and edge throughout his career. He’s not much of a pass-rusher but can play the run as well as anyone from an edge position.

Lawson taking Fowler’s old role as pass rushing specialist might just work to everyone’s strengths. The question is, is he up to the task?

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Cowboys work out gambler and Parsons ex-teammate, Jets castoff to replace latest ACL victim

Dallas is searching for a speedy edge rusher to help lessen the burden after losing Sam Williams for the season. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Leave no stone unturned. When doing a recent 53-man roster prediction as the Dallas Cowboys move to Week 2 of 2024 training camp, one thing became clear. They don’t really have an in-house replacement for defensive end Sam Williams.

Williams was lost for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL last week, becoming the fifth Cowboys player in the las calendar year to suffer the knee injury. He was going to be an integral figure in the edge rush rotation, as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer planned to move Micah Parsons around more than he had been the last two seasons. Now the role opposite DeMarcus Lawrence’s run-anchor DE spot is open and on Thursday the Cowboys will  search for help filling it.

Second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland is Lawrence’s heir apparent and doesn’t possess a similar skillset to Williams and Parsons, and there isn’t another player on the roster who appears ready for a role that substantial. Therefore Will McClay and the front office have gone about trying to find outside help, bringing in four players for workouts. It’s an interesting group of contenders.

The biggest name is Carl Lawson; one of eight edge rushers Cowboys Wire identified as leading candidates to be considered. Lawson was a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 and has spent the last three seasons with the New York Jets. He missed much of the season dealing with a back injury that had him in and out of the lineup through the first half of the season. In 2022 he had seven sacks.

Also part of the workout is Shaka Toney, who was banned from the NFL for the 2023 season due to gambling. The former Penn State Nittany Lion who teamed up with Parsons in college was a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2021. He has 1.5 career sacks in his two years.

Al-Quadin Muhammad (2017 Saints pick, 12 career sacks) and Justin Hollins (2019 Broncos pick, 10.5 career sacks) will also attend the Oxnard, CA workout.

No, Marshawn Kneeland isn’t a direct replacement for injured Cowboys DE Sam Williams

Marshawn Kneeland has a bright future on the Cowboys but keep expectations reasonable about what he’s asked to do. | From @ReidDHanson

When Cowboys third-year defensive end Sam Williams fell to a season-ending knee injury in camp this week, it opened the door for others down the depth chart. This “next man up” mentality isn’t unique to the Cowboys, it’s an inherent sentiment held in all competitive sports.

For young aspiring talents down the depth chart, an injury such as this can provide ample opportunity to increase snaps and showcase skills. Players such as Chauncey Golston, Junior Fehoko and Marshawn Kneeland should all see an increase in opportunity as a result of the injury.

The rookie Kneeland may stand to benefit the most of the three. Drafted in the second round, Kneeland is the most pedigreed of the three reserves. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound edge from Western Michigan has NFL-ready strength and work ethic. In training camp he’s shown he’s everything he was billed to be by scouts and displays all the characteristics of a starting caliber base-end in the NFL one day.

One day.

Some will say, with great opportunity comes great expectations, but expectations need to be reasonable for rookies and just because an opportunity opens, doesn’t mean the rookie fits it.

It would be nice if Kneeland could seamlessly slide right into that role this unfortunate injury opened, but Kneeland is a considerably different player than Williams. Both players are certified bulldogs but that’s probably where the similarities end.

Respected scout and Cowboys Nation’s favorite draft personality, Dane Brugler, described the two quite differently. He described Williams as “a quarterback hunter” and exciting “pass rush prospect.”  Kneeland, he describes as “a starting base” and someone who’s “still taking classes in the art of the pass rush.”

Based on Brugler’s descriptions, the two edge players play opposite sides of the line. Not that left side and right side mean as much as they used to, but the sides still matter to some degree. The right side is typically the explosive side, while the left, or base, is the more physical side. Williams served the explosive role while Kneeland projects at the physical role. This is where the fit becomes less clean.

Kneeland is an edge player who can take on extra responsibility as a run stuffer and two-gapper. He can play the screen, maintain his run fits and still apply a certain degree of pressure. In other words, he’s a lot like DeMarcus Lawrence.

Williams has been an edge player who’s best in space. He has had speed and explosiveness off the snap, and what he has lacked in bend, he has made up for in strength. Williams is the type of player who projects as a 10-sack edge someday. He may never garner a positive run-stopping grade but he’s a legit pressure player off the edge.

Kneeland is a player who’s realistically capped in 5-to-7 annual sack range. He’s an every-down player who thrives in his discipline and versatility, much like Lawrence. Kneeland’s biggest impact, in matters of pass rush, come in clean-up situations and stunts.

One guy will shine in the infamous pass rush win rate (PRWR) stat and the other will barely register on the scale. It’s not that one is better than the other, it’s that they play different roles.

As a matter of fact, Kneeland was graded by Brugler as DE5 (1-2 round grade) with Williams as DE17 with a late third-round grade, in their respective drafts. If anyone projects with a better future, it’s Kneeland. It’s just no one should think Kneeland can seamlessly fill Williams’ shoes because Williams filled a somewhat glamorous pass rusher role.

Where do we go from here: The Cowboys could flip Lawrence over to the right side and ask him to be the right edge he used to be as a younger player. It’s also possible the Cowboys could turn up their noses at this super convincing article and ask Kneeland to change from apple to orange as a prospect. The smarter move may be to explore options elsewhere or to consider all of the above and keep the situations fluid.

Whatever the decision, no one should change their expectations for Kneeland just because Williams’ injury opened a door. Because improved opportunity shouldn’t mean raised expectations for Cowboys rookie.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Cowboys’ Sam Williams taken off on cart, will have MRI

The third-year defensive end suffered a leg injury on just the fourth day of training camp. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are not considered as deep at edge rusher as they have been in recent years, at least not with proven depth. Their 1-2 punch of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence is as formidable a duo as any in the NFL, but behind them they lost a ton of experience in the offseason.

Gone are Dorance Armstrong, Jr. and Dante Fowler, owners of 26 sacks combined over the last two seasons. Replacing them were third-year defensive end Sam Williams and second-round rookie draft pick Marshawn Kneeland. There’s a lot of promise between the two but now that may be in doubt as Williams left Sunday’s practice on a cart.

Williams suffered an apparent leg injury during special teams drills and has been taken to get an MRI.

The team doesn’t sound hopeful as owner Jerry Jones said, “We don’t like what we saw.”

 

Williams has yet to start a game in his career, but the 2022 second-round pick from Ole Miss was expected to be next up in the rotation after four and 4.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons. Williams has had a propensity for both dominant and boneheaded plays since joining the league, and the prevailing hope was moving to Mike Zimmer’s show would lead to more discipline in his approach.

Now the Cowboys are left waiting to hear some hopefully good news as their first major injury concern during training camp 2024 has occurred.

Durrell Johnson, Villiami Fehoko and Tyrus Wheat are behind Williams and Kneeland on the depth chart.

Dallas is coming off of three consecutive 12-5 campaigns but has changed defenses to try and be more consistent. With plans to play Parsons more as a linebacker blitzer, Williams is key to their approach.

Sam Williams at career tipping point, Cowboys’ D needs him to step up

With recent losses at DE, the Cowboys need Sam Williams to step up into a bigger role in 2024. Can he? @ReidDHanson explores the DE landscape.

It’s “will he” or “won’t he” for Sam Williams in 2024. The No. 56 pick in the 2022 NFL draft is at a crossroads in his Cowboys career. Will he figure it out and begin to realize his enormous potential or will he never put it all together and join the many other second-round picks who Dallas swung big on and missed?

To say this is a make-or-break season for Williams is to state the obvious. He’s accomplished very little in his two-year career in the NFL and seems to have logged more head-scratching plays than highlight ones.

With Dorance Armstrong, Jr. and Dante Fowler in Washington playing for Dan Quinn, the opportunity is now for Williams. Even as Quinn’s handpicked draft selection, Williams struggled stealing snaps from the other two. Through two seasons he’s only logged 32 more defensive snaps than special teams snaps. Everything stands to change in 2024.

With his biggest advocate and biggest roadblocks all out of the equation, this isn’t just a tipping point in Williams’ career, but also a tipping point in the Cowboys’ defense overall.

The absence of Armstrong and Fowler means a greater burden has fallen on Williams. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are already maxed out with their respective workloads. Other players will have to step up and take on bigger roles within the rotation. Players like Williams.

If the Cowboys get Williams to be the man they hope he can be, they’ll have a high-end power rusher to pressure opposite Parsons. He would take some of the burden off of Lawrence in that regard and allow Parsons to move around and rush from different areas in the process.

If Williams can’t take that next step in his development, the Cowboys could be store for a tough year. Dallas has Viliami Fehoko (2023 fourth rounder) and Marshawn Kneeland (2024 second rounder) waiting in the wings at defensive end but neither of them have a single NFL snap to his name. Besides, they project best as strong two-way players and not the fearsome pass-rusher Williams projects to be.

So, it’s not just about Williams getting better for the good of his career. The Cowboys need him to be better for the good of the defense. They need him to stay focused. They need him to eliminate the boneheaded plays and become a player Zimmer can trust.

A major reason for pessimism is Zimmer has very little patience for mistakes. Williams’ mistakes date back to his time at Ole Miss (nine penalties his senior season) indicating they aren’t a recent development brought on by the NFL learning curve, but a playing trait that must be overcome.

If Zimmer can’t trust Williams to play smart, he won’t hesitate to drop him in the rotation, regardless of how badly the Cowboys need a third pressure player on the edge.

There’s optimism to be found as well. Williams technically logged more defensive snaps than Fowler in 2023, but it was Fowler who garnered the most quality snaps on passing downs. It stands to reason Williams will produce better numbers when given better opportunities.

Since Fowler averaged one pressure for every 5.72 pass rushing snaps and Williams averaged one pressure every 8.04 pass rushing snaps, Williams has to improve before the Cowboys can claim improvement with Williams taking Fowler’s snaps.

At age 25, progression isn’t just possible for Williams, it’s expected. The Cowboys need the third-year DE to step up into a bigger role for the good of the defense. If he can, he could tip the Dallas defense into an elite status in 2024. If he can’t, the Cowboys may be scrambling to move parts and patch holes in the rotations all season long.

How Williams plays this season is obviously big for Williams’ future but it’s also big for the Cowboys defense.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Cowboys already spending 13% of cap on depleted edge rusher group

The defense end group makes up a big portion of the teams salary cap and will only get pricier. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The defensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys doesn’t boast the type of contract numbers dedicated to the offense. The large cap hits defensive ends command rings true, but the available options behind them are slim. A sneaky need for this team is that a counterpart opposite of star pass rusher Micah Parsons must be found.

But Dallas has been known to be frugal and overspending on a single position group doesn’t fit their approach to team building.

Dallas was built to put pressure on the quarterback to allow their ballhawk-type secondary to cash in on the disruption. No matter the changes this defense will undergo with Mike Zimmer taking the baton from Dan Quinn, applying pressure on the opposing quarterback is something all teams want to accomplish. The remaining pass-rush production behind Parsons needs attention, but at what cost?

LOOK: DaRon Bland Pick-6 starts Cowboys’ defense, special teams ballistic run

A series of defensive and special teams plays put the game out of reach early for the Cowboys. | From @KDDrummondNFL

After the Cowboys’ opening touchdown, Dallas traded field goals with the Los Angeles Rams to keep their early lead at seven, 10-3. Then, Dan Quinn and John Fassel’s units decided they wanted to make an impression on the game.

In the blink of an eye, Dallas extended the lead to a whopping 23 points and the offense had very little to do with it.

 

Cowboys still waiting for Sam Williams to breakout in 2023

Many predicted Sam Williams to break out in his second year with the Cowboys and while that hasn’t happened, there are signs of improvement. | From @ReidDHanson

The NFL offseason is notoriously a time for hype. Optimism reigns supreme as teams turn the page on the failures of the previous season and build a plan to do better in the upcoming campaign. New players are added, and young players develop.

The Cowboys had a few new and and a few returning players getting their fair share of hype over the past offseason, but no player seemed to universally garner more of that hype than second-year edge Sam Williams. Five games into 2023, the hype has not been realized.

Williams, a second-round pick out of Mississippi, hit the ground running as a pro. Handpicked by Dan Quinn, Williams made an instant impact as a developmental pass rusher. Despite sharing an EDGE rotation with the likes of Micah Parsons, Dorance Armstrong, DeMarcus Lawrence and Dante Fowler, Williams managed to collect four sacks and 11 pressures in his rookie season.

Averaging one pressure every 25 snaps wasn’t Parsons’ territory but it was impressive given how raw the young defensive end was as a pro.

Blessed with natural burst, speed, and strength, Williams was a breakout player to watch in 2023. Even with the return of the others, Williams was in position to get great opportunities in Quinn’s rotation in 2023.

With the exception of Parsons, Williams had arguably the biggest upside amongst the bunch. And signed through the 2025 season, he was also under team control the longest.

Lawrence is only signed through 2024 and both Fowler and Armstrong will be free agents after this season. To put it bluntly, the Cowboys had every reason to give Williams extra opportunities and groom him for bigger and better.

2023 has not unfolded as many would have imagined. In 99 defensive snaps, Williams has only logged one sack and six pressures. With one pressure every 17 snaps, his pressure rate has improved over last season, but it’s not quite the breakout many were expecting from the 24-year-old defensive end.

Perhaps more concerning is he has only logged one pressure since Week 2 and has consistently scored poor grades, ranking 83 out of 114 graded players by PFF.

While there may be some disappointment in Williams’ season thus far, it’s important to point out he is still young and improving. Playing alongside Parsons and Lawrence is always going to cap his opportunities, but that could be seen as a blessing in disguise.

Within a rotation, Williams can dedicate himself to quality of snaps over quantity. He’s splitting snaps fairly evenly with Fowler and Armstrong, so he’s not buried or out of disfavor. He’s an equal. At this point in the season, it’s too early to issue judgement.

Williams hasn’t broken out this season, but he’s clearly improving. He’s on pace for more snaps in 2023 and to nearly double his number of pressures. There are plenty of things to be disappointed about in 2023 but Williams shouldn’t be one of them. Even if he hasn’t officially broken out yet.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]