In the wake of the Dallas Cowboys trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, the pass rush is looking for someone to replace his production. No one is demanding an 14-plus sack season from someone, although that would be selfishly nice, but it would be great to see some of Dallas’ second-round edge players take that next step.
With Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku still proving themselves as NFL players, all attention is focused on Sam Williams. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Week 1 will be the first time Williams has played football since 2023. He was sidelined last year due to a torn ACL he suffered at the very start of training camp.
Since then, he has fought his way back to having zero limitations during practice and has been praised a ton by the coaching staff and Brian Schottenheimer. His hard work this offseason earned him the starting defensive end opposite Dante Fowler on the team’s unofficial depth chart ahead of Thursday night’s game. Williams is aware of what’s ahead of him this season and how the only person who could get in his way is himself.
“I’m very hungry, but at the same time, I’m patient,” Williams said in an interview with the media on Monday. At the end of the day, I just got to keep trusting my process, be where my feet are at, and I don’t want to get too excited, because that’s when Sam start making penalties and jumping and all that stuff. I just want to be great, man…I’ts me versus me this year, ya know? I don’t look at anybody else. I just look at the man in front of me and I gotta beat them.“
The biggest concern around Williams has been his maturity. In 2023, he received tickets for speeding, and he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Since then, there have been no issues from Williams, turning the corner as a professional athlete off the field. On the field, Williams has occasionally committed critical penalties, but it’s encouraging to hear him discuss it and acknowledge that he wants to focus on avoiding them this season. It will be interesting to see how he manages a starting role, as he has primarily been a rotational player along the defensive line since his rookie year.
Williams might not be alone in hoping for a successful year. On multiple occasions this offseason, people like Albert Breer and Calvin Watkins have included Williams’ name in the next batch of players we could see get contract extensions from the Cowboys. Is it possible that the front office wants to secure Williams for the long term, positioning him as a veteran leader for their defensive end group, especially with Fowler on a one-year deal? He first has a lot to prove, and that journey begins Thursday night.
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