Cowboys should listen to Williams for one reason: He’s right

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, May 29, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Dallas Cowboys
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A 92-tackle, two-interception, five-passes defensed season doesn’t ostensibly read like a stat line for a player who thinks he isn’t suited for his team. But Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams isn’t happy, if the telephone game-style claims are to be believed, as his fair numbers belie the fact that he apparently feels like a pickup truck being used to drag race. What helps Williams’ case is that he has a point: While it may be an exaggeration to say he doesn’t belong, the truth is that he could be used in a method more fitting to his talents.

Williams’ alleged carping regarding his misfit status in Dallas’ 3-4 scheme might not be imaginary. As a forcible, relatively bulky 225-pound strong safety, he’s better at pursuing rushers searching for lanes and quarterbacks praying for time than tight ends running routes. Allowing him more freedom to hover close to the trenches seems judicious, as it would complement his strengths. He has the potential to significantly increase his career total of 6.5 sacks and also make more early run stops.

But the problem is that the Cowboys have to take into account one really good defender they usually let hang around the line. Specifically, DeMarcus Ware, officially designated as an outside linebacker, is more like a hybrid defensive end. His 14 sacks in 2007 are evidence that he’s not only regularly deployed essentially as a lineman but also that he’s quite proficient at it.

At the same time, he’s also good when used in a reserved manner more traditionally associated with his positional title, as evidenced by his four passes defended last season. That, paired with the strong safety’s affinity for forceful play, should prompt the coaching staff to consider sometimes reigning in Ware and instead using Williams to accompany the linemen as they head forward.

It will be tough to leave Ware in coverage more frequently, not only because of his overwhelming skill pursuing the quarterback but also because coach Wade Phillips employs the least deceptive version of the alignment possible, using either him or fellow linebacker Greg Ellis as a rusher on a high percentage of plays.

Yet the novel approach of utilizing Williams as the fourth or fifth man every so often would add some spice to a too-conventional unconventional defense while simultaneously making the player more comfortable. The 265-pound Ellis is better employed virtually exclusively as a pass rusher, but even he could be held in reserve from pass rushing or working as a primary run stopper every so often; using a safety as the extra accompaniment to the three linemen in lieu of a linebacker would make good use of both Williams’ and the defense’s potential.

The Oklahoma product is definitely more adept at reacting near the line than being held in a more passive coverage role. If Ware is an end with linebacker tendencies, Williams is in turn a safety with a linebacker’s soul, namely someone who likes to lurk close to the snap and pounce in his instinctually physical manner.

Occasionally letting him roam and push forward while simultaneously holding back Ware would not only optimize Williams’ skills but also add a fun wrinkle of trickery. After all, the appeal of the four-linebacker set is supposedly its adaptability, which means that mixing in more plays that allow the team’s most aggressive player to make use of his innate abilities will cause enough confusion to compensate for restraining Ware.

Or just bring both on sporadic jailbreak-style blitzes: That would make opposing coordinators sad and scared, too, as active belligerence would be an effective way to confound offenses.

Either way, it’s crucial that the team addresses this issue. The safety’s charges might linger at training camp as unseen but present force like a flu virus, and defensive coaches actually hearing him out would be the equivalent of a Vitamin C dose. Pro athletes who express grumpiness regarding their situation usually come across as whiny bores, but in this case Williams is a rarity in that he's a grumbler who has a valid complaint.
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