What to expect from Javonte Williams in terms of the Cowboys rushing attack

What are your expectations for Javonte Williams?

The Dallas Cowboys have been busy. Between the free agency, the draft, and trades, the front office has attacked weak spot after weak spot on the roster, covering quite a bit of ground. With each new move, a new position group takes over as one of the biggest needs. For example, just recently, everyone was worried about the WR2 spot, but after the George Pickens trade, those worries have disappeared. Now, it’s on to something else.

One of those positions that has resurfaced as the “weakest link” is the running back position. The Cowboys have done things to address the position group. Many things. They started by signing two veteran free agents in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. They followed that up by drafting Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. That’s four new backs.

While the quantity is plentiful, the quality leaves something to be desired. Both free agents were low-cost signings. Both draft picks were late-round selections. Are we really to expect the Cowboys’ running game to hinge on some assortment between two veterans who have both been ineffective in each of the last two seasons or two rookie backs taken late in the draft?

For the new rookies, Blue and Mafah, it’s hard to know what to expect. Rookie backs can hit the ground running, and they don’t have to be high draft picks to do so. We’ll just have to wait and see how those guys pan out, but it’s perfectly natural to be both excited and skeptical at the same time.

All signs are pointing to the veteran Williams to start the season as the team’s lead running back. A second-round pick in 2021, he was one of the best backs coming out of college, averaging 7.3 yards in his final year at North Carolina. Surprisingly, he wasn’t even the leading rusher on the Tarheels his last year in college. That went to senior Michael Carter, who was also drafted in 2021, but not until the fourth round.

Williams was the thunder to Carter’s lightning. He was one of the best at making guys miss, leading the FBS with 47 missed tackles in his final year. And that translated well in the NFL. During his rookie season with the Denver Broncos, he broke a tackle every 6.5 rushing attempts. That was the best in the league that year. He has powerful legs, excellent contact balance, and a willingness to lower the shoulder and punish defenders.

But then Williams suffered a bad knee injury four games into his second season. He tore his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner. He hasn’t been the same back since. Over the past two seasons, he’s rushed the ball a total of 356 times for 1,287 yards, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. And he’s not breaking tackles anymore. Last season, he finished with the third-worst tackling-breaking rate, breaking a tackle once every 34.8 attempts. That is quite the contrast from his rookie season.

When we try to diagnose the decline of Williams, it’s easy to point to the knee injury. Obviously, that’s a big factor. Watching tape of him before and after, you can see that his build-up speed is not the same. When the strength of your game is predicated on force and angle of contact, a slight dip in one’s ability to create momentum can be a big deal. If defenders can beat him to the spot and square up without him gaining a head of steam, he’s not going anywhere. He’s not an elusive guy who makes guys miss with his wiggle, his decision-making is a fraction slow, and he doesn’t have great speed. He’s really just a bruiser back and nothing more.

The question for Williams and his ability to be an asset for this offense will stem from how well he and the blocking scheme come together. Will he bring more juice, being a year further removed from his knee injury? Can the new offensive regime create holes for him to build up steam and power through creases? There are opportunities for things to go well, but also for this to be a whole lot of nothing.

New head coach Brian Schottenheimer wants a physical run game, and that’s right up his alley. Williams is also very good in the passing game. He’s a good blocker to help out in pass protection, and he is sneaky good as a pass catcher. The Broncos used him well on swing screens, where he kept his momentum going, getting out in space. He had 52 receptions last year for 346 yards. He has all the tools to be a three-down back.

He’s also a high-character guy who fits the culture Schotty is creating. He’s an intelligent back who was a valedictorian in high school. There shouldn’t be any issues with him coming in and doing what the coaches ask of him.

We don’t know how effective he’ll be, but what we do know is that he lines up well as a nice running back partner with the rookie Blue. They have contrasting skill sets. Don’t expect Williams’ yards per attempt to spike up as his job will be to pound away at the defense and get the job done in short-yardage situations. Wear them down enough that when they change things up with Blue, the opportunities for big plays go up.

Who knows, with any luck, they might be able to bring a little thunder and lightning of their own to the offense. Nothing stormy, just a few scattered showers here and there. If Williams can return to his bruising ways, this Cowboys rushing attack might have some new legs to stand on.