Lost in the current debate regarding whether the Cowboys will dump Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams is the question of whether the team might instead opt to trade him.
So many of the articles about Williams and his apparent fall from grace in Dallas focus only on the keep him or cut him conundrum. But getting something of value for him would seem to be a much better outcome, if the team decides to make a move.
Most recently, Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram asked “[h]ow close are the Cowboys to flat dumping” Williams?
Galloway explains that Williams could end up on the outside looking in based on his performance and attitude during training camp and the preseason. But if there’s reason to believe based on offseason workouts that Williams no longer gives the team what it needs, why not ship him to another team for a player, or for a draft pick?
In this regard, remember that the cap consequences for trading a player after June 1 are now the same as they are for cutting him.
An obvious potential destination would be Miami, which now has a pipeline back to Dallas given the arrival of Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano and several players.
Williams, who turns 28 in August, still has the skills to be a solid contributor as a strong safety. His biggest weakness is pass coverage, but it always has been and he’s nevertheless made it to Hawaii straight times.
His first trip came after Parcells’ first year in Dallas, and surely Williams would be a welcome addition to a rebuilding Dolphins team during Parcells’ first year in Miami.
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May 18th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Even if you could find someone who would trade for Williams the player, why in the world would any team trade for Williams’ contract?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
“Flat dumping” Roy Williams wouldn’t be too smart considering he’s definitely a valuable asset. If he doesn’t fit with the Dallas Cowboys, then the team should try to get something for him, or work out the issues and keep him.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 18th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
People are starting to realize that Williams is awful in coverage and sometimes you need your safety to do things other than execute horse-collars.
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May 18th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Roy Williams will draw as much trade interest as Drew Henson would right now. But only if Drew Henson had a sprained perineum because he is still pretty good. The raiders might have interest in williams to replace the void that warren sapp left. I am saying this because roy williams has a weight problem and would probably lose to steve mcnair in a footrace. Even on fieldturf
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May 19th, 2008 at 12:38 am
I disagree. Horsecollars for all!
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May 19th, 2008 at 12:46 am
But according to the fanbois, Williams can’t do anything but horsecollar people, therefore the Cowboys won’t be able to trade him for anything.
Get real, RW’s not going to be cut or traded.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 12:55 am
He was great when Darren Woodson was covering the entire field for him.
He was afforded the ability to be a reckless headhunter. He probably didn’t weigh 235 back then either.
Maybe the addition of secondary coach Dave Campo will help.
I think Williams could be decent again and it’s mostly a mental issue with him. He’s got to keep things simple and stop blaming others after a big play is given up. It’s okay for a safety to get burned by a WR or TE once in a while, but he seems to get real down and it’s visible to any spectator.
Also, he was a much better player before he found God(tm). This is fact.
The guy can’t shut up about the Lord(tm) or scripture. Seriously. God(tm) doesn’t care.
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May 19th, 2008 at 1:12 am
The Raiders
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May 19th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Williams is a poor excuse for a SS. I think the cowboys should try to trade him for a reasonable draft pick or some new guys. Williams has never been a good coverage safety. How is going to benefit a team that has a good rushing D? Maybe turn him into a LB
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May 19th, 2008 at 5:35 am
As bad as he is in coverage… Please someone tell me what other SS you have out there in the league right now that would be able to take his place………. I’ll be waiting for the answer.
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May 19th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Take his place in what–other teams’ highlight films?
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May 19th, 2008 at 7:09 am
What about 36 yr old John Lynch? Old yet a year might help the Cowboys?
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May 19th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Trade for the Raiders’ Michael Huff….they don’t want him.
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May 19th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I have to agree with Vox on this one. RW is not as bad as some think, and the Cowboys secondary doesn’t need less depth at this point. Please name an available player that could take Williams’ place.
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May 19th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Until a worthy replacement on the Dallas depth chart is mentioned, this is kind of a pointless article. A mediocre strong saftey is better than no strong safety. If the Cowboys were going to move Williams it would have happened before or during the draft.
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May 19th, 2008 at 9:22 am
The Eagles should sign him to break TO’s leg again.
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May 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Geez, Randy Galloway must be the worst Cowboys beat writer of them all. They guy is a complete hack and is regularly ignored by those who follow the Cowboys a lot more closely than he does.
Roy Williams will not be released or traded.
Still PFT never likes miss an opportunity to give the haters another chance to hate on the Cowboys or their players (and take advantage of the healthy number of site hits that go with it) so I wouldn’t expect them to exercise any form of quality control over what they post. Really it would be much bigger news if Galloway ever predicted something that actually happened with the Cowboys since he’s been trying for years and it still hasn’t happened.
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May 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am
RW was a decent strong safety in his early years but his problem now is that the game may have passed him by. With more multiple receiver sets and RBs catching out of the backfield, RW’s mediocre coverage skills are more of a liability now.
To a lesser extent Michael Lewis (now of the the SF 49ers) was/is the same type of player, he was constantly being exposed for his poor coverage skills - a big reason the Eagles let him go even though he had gone to the Pro Bowl. Eagle’s current SS Mikell isn’t as big a hitter as Lewis was but he can cover a TE, RB or even a fourth WR.
The SS of today has to be able to cover and hit, in other words they have to be more a like a FS IMO…
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May 19th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Trade him to New Orleans, our safetys need help
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May 19th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Roy was a decent safety earlier, but mostly because he greatly benefited from Darren Woodson, both in terms of leadership and in terms for covering for Roy’s mistakes. Once Woodson was gone, and Roy didn’t have that guidance, everyone had a greater idea of what he could and couldn’t do. When the horse collar rule was implemented, that was just one less he able to do.
I don’t think Roy is done in Dallas, or even that he’s a bad safety, I just think he’s somewhat overrated. However, as someone else said, who is Dallas gonna replace him with? The upgrades aren’t available outside a steep price, and the availables aren’t an upgrade.
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May 19th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
A few people have called for who could replace RW right now?
Well that guy is actually on the roster…Ken Hamlin.
He was Seattle’s garbage a year ago, said to be a coverage liability and more of a SS than FS.
Well he was an absolute difference maker last year but Dallas is tied to RW and will likely be unable to hold onto Hamlin after this season.
RW will have a great opportunity to clear his name this season and hopefully channel his old self. If not, i could see him being let go or dealt and Hamlin being given a multi-year contract to replace him.
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May 19th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
LOL, a lot people talk about RW’s coverage skills. How come no one is talking about Jacques Reeves’ coverage skills last year? Was William’s really that bad, or was he covering for below average CBs?
I’d take a Cowboy fan’s word for it over a casual observer or someone that gets their info from the commentators? Can’t count the time sI’ve heard them screw up the player’s names on my team. How can I expect the to get anything else right?
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May 19th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Tex, I prefer to have a little more depth at safety. I see a few more guys on the Cowboys roster, but Williams and Hamlin are the only ones I’ve heard of.
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