Latest On Terrance Williams Situation
The bizarre twist in the Terrance Williams car-crash saga involved Kendall Wright after the Cowboys wide receiver said the new Vikings pass-catcher was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Williams and Wright were teammates at Baylor together and had spent time together earlier on the night of the accident. But both Williams’ attorney, Chip Lewis, and Vikings GM Rick Spielman deny it was Wright who was behind the wheel.
“I have spoken directly with Kendall and his agent and both have assured me there is no truth to the matter,” Spielman said, via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Police arrested Williams, whose statement indicated he was the driver of the vehicle, for leaving the scene of an accident and for public intoxication. Williams told police he’d gotten a call from Wright informing him of the Lamborghini crash, but police were suspicious of this claim since Williams subsequently admitted his phone was still in the car at that point. Williams’ public statement of the events of that sequence did not include Wright.
Cowboys Expect Zack Martin Extension This Offseason
The Cowboys and Zack Martin have been circling each other for a while now, and the All-Pro guard decided to skip OTAs this week. However, Albert Breer of SI.com notes this doesn’t appear to be a contentious absence, adding the Cowboys expect to have this deal done before the regular season. This promises to be an eye-opening agreement.
Dallas expects to pay Martin at least $13MM per year. While only five linemen earn that, one of them is a guard. And as good as Andrew Norwell has been, Martin’s a more accomplished player with four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro distinctions on his resume.
So, it’s likely Martin’s deal will come in north of Norwell’s $13.3MM-per-year pact and set the market for guards, with Breer pointing out teams aren’t going to see 2018 deals for Norwell and Nate Solder as outlier pacts based on free agency but instead will view them as the norm in a changing marketplace. Quality linemen are simply more valuable now since these particular skills are much harder to acquire out of college.
The Cowboys view Martin as the game’s premier pass-protecting guard and a player who is close to the top in clearing run lanes, per Breer, so they’re eager to ensure he’s under contract well into the 2020s.
Martin, 27, is on Dallas’ books for $9.341MM because of his fifth-year option, and the Cowboys already have a significant negotiation to finish with Demarcus Lawrence. While Lawrence said he would be fine playing on the franchise tag, that is affecting the Cowboys’ books. The defensive end’s cap hold sits at $17.143MM — second-highest on the team behind Tyron Smith.
Latest On Cowboys WR Terrance Williams
The recent incident involving Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams continues to get more and more bizarre as the story unfolds. First, Williams was arrested this past Saturday and charged with public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident. What’s undisputed is that Williams’ Lamborghini crashed and he was detained while riding an electric scooter near the scene.
Williams then released a statement the day after accepting responsibility for the accident, saying that a car slammed on its brakes in front of him and he swerved to avoid it, but denied he was intoxicated. A wrinkle was thrown into the case when police released a video this morning of Williams the night of the accident contradicting his initial public account. Williams is shown telling officers that it wasn’t him who was driving the car that night, and that it was actually his friend and fellow wide receiver Kendall Wright of the Vikings.
The officers didn’t buy Williams’ claim that he wasn’t even in the car that night, as his phone was inside the vehicle. They arrested him, but the details about Wright’s alleged involvement stayed under wraps until today.
Williams’ lawyer then clarified earlier today once the video blew up online that Wright was not involved after all (Twitter link via Dallas Morning News’ Brandon George). Vikings general manager Rick Spielman then followed up and said the Vikings were standing by Wright and that Wright and his agent both assured him there was no truth to Williams’ accusation (Twitter link via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin).
Williams was already in a good amount of trouble, but his puzzling and now apparently false explanation that it was Wright who crashed his car could make matters even worse. He could be looking at a possible suspension from the league.
Working as the Cowboys’ number two receiver the past few years, Williams was theoretically in line for an increased workload after the release of Dez Bryant. The Cowboys signed Allen Hurns in free agency, but Williams was thought to have the inside track at being the team’s number one receiving option. It’s unclear if this arrest or possible suspension will change the Cowboys’ plans.
Last season, Williams caught 53 passes for 568 yards. He caught zero touchdowns for the first time in his career. Whatever happens, it’s a headache that the Cowboys absolutely don’t need in the midst of an already tumultuous offseason.
Cowboys Could Escape Terrance Williams' Contract
- While the terms of Foles’ deal could allow him to collect extra cash in 2018, Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams‘ contract language might enable Dallas to escape his pact with no financial penalty, as Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram writes. Williams, of course, was arrested last week for public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident, charges which Williams disputes. Nevertheless, if Williams is convicted for any sort of alcohol-related offense, he’ll almost certainly face a league-imposed suspension, and “all” Cowboys players have void provisions in their contracts related to bans, per Williams. At present, Williams is scheduled to earn a fully guaranteed $3.5MM base salary in 2018, and Dallas would take on $7.25MM in dead money by releasing him.
Cowboys’ Martin May Not Show For OTAs
Guard Zack Martin was not present for the Cowboys’ first round of organized team activities on Tuesday and it’s not clear if he will take part in any of them, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. OTAs are voluntary, but it’s a sign that Martin is likely waiting things out as his reps discuss a new contract with the team. 
The Cowboys and Martin’s agents have been in talks regarding a long-term deal over the last few weeks, Archer hears, but he’s not necessarily on bad terms with the club. Martin has been at The Star working out since the captains’ sessions started almost a month before the official start of the offseason program, so Martin’s absence is less about discord with Cowboys brass and more about properly protecting himself while he waits for the multi-year deal he’s after.
“We’ve had really good conversations about this,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “I know there’s ongoing dialogue between him and his representatives and the Joneses about getting his contract done. He’s one of the best players we have. He represents everything we want, but there is a business side to this that both sides are working toward.”
Martin has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of his four NFL seasons and two First-Team All-Pro selections. In 2017, he rated as the best guard in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He was among the league’s top interior linemen from 2014-2016 and but he set a new personal best in terms of the advanced metrics with an excellent 92.2 overall score.
If the Cowboys and Martin can agree to a new deal, it is expected to top the five-year, $60MM deal (with $31.5MM guaranteed) that Kevin Zeitler signed with the Browns as a free agent last year. If they cannot come to terms, then Martin will play out his fifth-year option for 2018 worth $9.3MM. After that, the Cowboys can use the franchise tag to control Martin through 2019, but it would cost them upwards of $14MM.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Ashaad Mabry
- Waived: OT Korren Kirven
- Signed: TE Jason Vander Laan
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Damien Mama
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: WR Chris Lacy (from Patriots)
- Waived: CB Josh Okonye
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on Reserve/Retired list: DT Filipo Mokofisi
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Chunky Clements
Cowboys Wrap Up Draft Class
The Cowboys have wrapped up their 2018 draft class. On Monday, the team reached agreement with the last straggler in their group – third-round wide receiver Michael Gallup (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). 
Last year, it took the Cowboys a while to sign all of their draft picks. Third-round pick Jourdan Lewis did not agree to terms until June 29, but this time around, Dallas ironed everything out with its third-round pick in short order.
Gallup hauled in 100 receptions for 1,413 yards last year at Colorado State and figures will compete for time in a revamped wide receiver group with Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, and others. Although he’s a bit green, the Cowboys are hopeful they can get him up to speed quickly.
Here’s the full rundown of the Cowboys’ draft class, courtesy of PFR’s Draft Results By Team tracker:
- 1-19: Leighton Vander Esch, LB (Boise State): Signed
- 2-50: Connor Williams, G (Texas): Signed
- 3-81: Michael Gallup, WR (Colorado State): Signed
- 4-116: Dorance Armstrong, DE (Kansas): Signed
- 4-137: Dalton Schultz, TE (Stanford): Signed
- 5-171: Mike White, QB (Western Kentucky): Signed
- 6-193: Chris Covington, LB (Indiana): Signed
- 6-208: Cedrick Wilson, WR (Boise State): Signed
- 7-236: Bo Scarbrough, RB (Alabama): Signed
Latest On Terrance Williams Arrest
Terrance Williams was arrested early Saturday morning after a car accident. The Cowboys wide receiver has issued a response, attempting to explain why these events occurred.
“I am grateful that no one was injured in the accident,” Williams said in a statement (via Pro Football Talk). “The driver in front of me slammed on his brakes, and I turned to the left and hopped the curb to avoid hitting him. I got his insurance information and my neighbor picked me up when my car wouldn’t drive. I live right near where the accident occurred, so my neighbor dropped me off and I called a tow truck and took the scooter from my house to go meet the tow truck driver. The police officer, who I have met in the past in the neighborhood, saw me on the scooter and arrested me without performing any sobriety tests.
“I have always been an upstanding citizen and handled the situation the best way I know how. I apologize if I should have handled it a little bit differently.”
The 28-year-old wide receiver was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident and for public intoxication. Williams also disputes that his Lamborghini struck a light pole. Williams’ lawyer said his client did not crash into a light pole, nor was there one nearby the accident. He added that this accident did not have anything to do with Williams’ arrest.
Williams could face NFL discipline regarding the public intoxication charge.
Cowboys WR Terrance Williams Arrested
Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams was arrested earlier this morning, reports Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram.
The 28-year-old was arrested by Fresno police for public intoxication, a class c misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of an accident, which is a “misdemeanor at large” charge. Williams reportedly crashed his Lamborghini into a light pole around 3 a.m. and subsequently fled the scene. He was arrested around 5 a.m.
The arrest certainly won’t help Williams’ case to make the Cowboys roster. The organization has already parted ways with long-time receiver Dez Bryant, and they added several new players at the position (including Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Tavon Austin, and rookies Michael Gallup and Cedric Wilson). Williams is already set to miss OTAs and minicamp as he recovers from a fractured foot.
The 2013 third-round pick out of Baylor has shown plenty of intrigue during his five-year career, but he’s yet to establish himself as a number-one receiver. Williams hauled in eight touchdowns in 2014, and he compiled a career-high 840 receiving yards during the 2015 campaign. However, his numbers have been a bit underwhelming over the past two years, and he finished the 2017 season with a career-low 568 receiving yards.
Cowboys Optimistic On Randy Gregory?
- Randy Gregory will apply for reinstatement soon, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report notes a Cowboys front office source is optimistic the defensive end will be reinstated this year. Popped for repeated violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, the former second-round pick has only played two games since the 2015 season.