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Sam Williams

Cowboys Set Focus On Deals With OL Tyler Smith, DE Sam Williams

September 2nd, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

SEPTEMBER 2: Though it looked like there might be a chance for the Cowboys to get a new deal done with Smith before the onset of the regular season, that appears less likely with the first game of the season less than 48 hours away. Smith doesn’t seem concerned about the delay in the slightest, though. Per an update on the team website, Smith’s attention is fully on Thursday’s season opener, as he remarks that “everything will happen in due time.”

AUGUST 31: Back in April the Cowboys set their sights on new deals for tight end Jake Ferguson, cornerback DaRon Bland, left guard Tyler Smith, and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Since then, Ferguson and Bland have received their desired extensions, and now, Smith should be the next priority in Dallas, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Smith came to Dallas as a first-round pick out of Tulsa in 2022. A left tackle during his time with the Golden Hurricane, Smith was expected to move inside to guard as a rookie. When veteran left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring, though, the rookie Smith was tapped as the next man up and looked like a natural as he started every game as the blindside blocker for a team that finished with the fourth-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL that year.

In his sophomore campaign, the Cowboys shifted Smith back inside to the left guard position he was expected to play as a rookie. Despite missing three games, Smith was named a second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. When Tyron Smith departed in free agency, the team debated shifting Tyler Smith out to the left tackle role he excelled in as a rookie. Instead, Dallas drafted Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 29 overall and trusted the rookie with the left tackle job, allowing Smith to earn another Pro Bowl bid at left guard.

Now headed into the final year of his rookie contract, the Cowboys made the decision to exercise Smith’s fifth-year option. You don’t often see teams utilize a fifth-round option on an interior lineman, since the system for calculating the value of fifth-year options groups the usually cheaper interior linemen with notably more expensive tackles. The Cowboys likely don’t intend to pay out the option year but instead use the exercising of the option as a commitment to work towards an extension for the 24-year-old before his rookie contract expires.

Back in May, Smith changed up his representation in anticipation of contract negotiations. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that Smith and the team have started talks towards a new deal, and new head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed hope that Smith would be the next player to get locked in long term.

Another player named as the next potential top priority for the team is defensive end Sam Williams, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys’ pick in the second round after Smith in 2022, Williams logged 8.5 sacks as a rotation rusher in his first two years with the team. He was expected to take on a potential starting role in 2024, but a torn ACL in training camp — with a partial MCL tear — took him out for the entire season. He now heads into the final year of his rookie contract and is once again expected to be a starter in 2025.

As owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones works to make everybody forget about Micah Parsons, it may be in his best interest to sign promising young players like Smith and Williams to long-term deals. They have another three days to talk, if they hope to get any more deals done before the regular season is underway.

Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery; Sam Williams Returns To Practice

June 6th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Adam La Rose

DeMarvion Overshown missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL tear. He managed to return to the Cowboys’ lineup in time for the start of last season, handling a starting role when on the field.

A productive campaign came to a premature end in December, however. The former third-round linebacker suffered another ACL tear with the same damage also being done to his MCL and PCL. As a result, Overshown is once again in the midst of a lengthy recovery process. Encouragingly, he is ahead of schedule at this point.

“It really couldn’t be any better,” Overshown said when speaking about his health status (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “Where I’m at in my rehab and my process is where I’m supposed to be plus some… There’s no need to rush the process. I’m gonna come back when I’m 100 percent. When I’m ready, when I know I can touch the field and not look down and worry about my knee.”

The 24-year-old posted 90 tackles, five sacks and four pass deflections last season. A return to that level of production would be welcomed on a Cowboys defense in need of improvement in 2025. A firm timeline is not in place for a return to action, and it would come as no surprise if Overshown began the campaign on the PUP list. November was mentioned last month as a possible point at which he could suit up, but since the Texas product is ahead of schedule he may manage to do so slightly earlier.

In other Cowboys injury news, Sam Williams has recently reached a key milestone in his own rehab process stemming from a major knee injury. The former second-round defensive end missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and suffering a partial MCL tear during training camp. The 26-year-old recently took part in individual drills for the first time this offseason, though, as noted by the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins.

That news comes as little surprise, since owner Jerry Jones said one month ago Williams had nearly healed in full. Still, having the latter back in the fold will be key for a pass rush group which lost DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency. Williams has yet to start a game in the NFL, but he could be in line for a spike in usage as a complement to Micah Parsons along the edge. A strong showing would be key since Williams is a pending 2026 free agent.

Dallas ranked 31st in the NFL in points allowed last season. Better health from the likes of Overshown and Williams will help the team’s efforts to improve in that respect, and both should be available for at least most of the coming campaign.

Cowboys Expected To Be Cautious With Dak Prescott During OTAs

May 5th, 2025 at 9:26pm CST by Ben Levine

While Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently expressed confidence about his recovery from a hamstring injury, he may not be a full participant when practices begin. Jon Machota of The Athletic says the Cowboys plan to be cautious with the quarterback’s recovery during OTAs and minicamp.

[RELATED: Dak Prescott Close To Full Health]

Prescott claimed last month that he was already healthy enough to play in a game, and this followed earlier reports that the quarterback would likely be ready to go for May practices. The veteran underwent surgery for a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon in November, so the expedited timeline wasn’t completely unfounded.

Entering the first year of a four-year, $240MM extension signed last September, Prescott and the Cowboys are naturally being cautious with his return to the field. In addition to protecting the asset, there are some other positives to limiting the player’s practice reps.

As Machota notes, there should be more opportunities for Joe Milton to get acclimated with his new team during those early practices. The 2024 sixth-round pick was traded from the Patriots to the Cowboys last month, and after mostly serving as a third-string QB as a rookie, Milton will now enter his sophomore season as Prescott’s primary backup.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Jerry Jones recently told reporters that Trevon Diggs could open the season on the physically unable to perform list (per ESPN’s Todd Archer). After missing most of the 2023 season with a torn ACL, his comeback campaign in 2024 ended early thanks to an injury in the same knee. Sam Williams is also recovering from a torn ACL suffered last summer, but Jones said the defensive end is basically fully recovered.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/24

November 11th, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reinstated from suspension, one-game roster exemption granted: DE Mario Edwards

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

Williams completed his three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He remains on injured reserve after a season-ending knee injury suffered during training camp.

Edwards served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and is now eligible to be reinstated to the Texans’ active roster. Houston requested and received a one-game roster exemption to give Edwards an additional week to practice with the team before being added back to the 53-man roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/24

October 28th, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams has already been ruled out for the 2024 season thanks to a torn ACL, and now he’s been slapped with a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy (via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). The unpaid suspension went to effect prior to Week 8, and the player will be eligible for reinstatement prior to Week 11. The punishment stems from Williams’ reckless driving charge from 2023.

The Colts lost a key special teamer for the season in Trevor Denbow, as Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports that the player suffered “injuries to multiple ligaments and cartilage” during yesterday’s game. Denbow has appeared in 65 percent of his team’s ST snaps over the past two seasons, and he’s been limited to only six defensive snaps over that time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/24

August 6th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: DE Zach Morton

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: WR Dax Milne
  • Waived/injured: DT Tomari Fox

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: QB Luis Perez
  • Waived: LB Savion Jackson

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

CeeDee Lamb isn’t usually mentioned in this type of post, but the transaction involving the wideout was simply procedural. As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, placing Lamb on the reserve/did not report list opens up a roster spot for the Cowboys, something that was necessary after the team signed three players today. This move doesn’t impact negotiations, and Lamb can be activated once he returns to practice. Lamb continues to holdout while he waits for a new deal, but the front office is working hard to get him back in the building.

Justin Herbert‘s recent foot injury necessitated some extra depth at the position. The team ended up opting for Luis Perez, who led the UFL last season in completions (225), passing yards (2,309), and touchdowns (18). Perez will soak up some temporary snaps alongside Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and UDFA Casey Bauman.

Cowboys Eyeing DE Help

July 29th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Ben Levine

With Sam Williams lost for the season thanks to a torn ACL and MCL, the Cowboys are doing their due diligence on potential replacements. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, the team has been “reviewing the tape” on available veteran defensive ends. However, Moore cautions that the team hasn’t lined up any visits/workouts.

[RELATED: Cowboys’ Sam Williams Tears ACL]

While Williams was once buried in the positional pecking order, the Cowboys were going to lean on their depth following the losses of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler this offseason. Dallas is fortunate that they still have plenty of talent on the edge; Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will continue to lead the depth chart, and the organization also used a second-round pick on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland.

Beyond that trio, the options are less than inspiring for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. 2023 fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko Jr. is the team’s most significant recent draft investment of the bunch, but any of the back-of-the-depth-chart options (including key special teamer Chauncey Golston, 2023 UDFAs Durrell Johnson and Tyrus Wheat, and 2024 UDFA Byron Vaughns) could step into any leftover snaps. There’s a good chance the Cowboys will be patient and evaluate this grouping before pouncing on any free agent options.

Plus, the free agent market has been pretty much picked through. Yannick Ngakoue likely represents the best option at the position, with the likes of Carl Lawson, Markus Golden, and Shaq Lawson also sitting unsigned. The Cowboys will also have more options at their disposal as rival squads trim down their rosters, so there probably isn’t any urgency to find a Williams replacement right now. Stephen Jones basically acknowledged as much when discussing the position with Moore.

“We’ll just see,” Jones said. “It depends on the guy. Everybody is pouring over the tape and seeing if there is anything. But we’re very pleased with what Kneeland has done so far.

“If the right guy is there, we’ll pull the trigger. If not, we’ll kind of keep playing along, see how our guys do and go from there.”

As for Williams, Moore notes that the defender will undergo surgery in August to repair his torn ACL and partially torn MCL. The earlier we’ll see Williams on the field will likely be a month or two into the 2025 campaign.

Cowboys’ Sam Williams Tears ACL

July 29th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 29: Williams also suffered a partial MCL tear yesterday, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. That will add further to his recovery time as he turns his attention to the 2025 campaign and his ability to rebuild his free agent value.

JULY 28: The Cowboys were set to enter the 2024 NFL season with defensive end as a position of strength. Unfortunately, an early training camp injury has changed that picture a bit in Dallas. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, defensive end Sam Williams is reported to have suffered a torn ACL, ending his third year in the league before it had a chance to get off the ground. After initial speculation from Pelissero and the team, Ian Rapoport was the one to confirm the positive MRI results.

Williams joined the Cowboys’ defensive front in 2022 after getting drafted out of Ole Miss in the second round. His rookie year saw him buried on the depth chart behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler, yet he still managed to tally four sacks while rotating in. He also showed his disruptive nature in other ways, finishing only behind Parsons on the team with 10 tackles for loss.

In his sophomore campaign, Williams worked his way past Fowler on the depth chart and even outproduced Lawrence, finishing the season third on the team in sacks with 4.5. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has been friendly to Williams over the years, ranking him as the 54th-best pass rusher out of 119 at the position in 2022 and the 51st out of 112 in 2023 — both years in limited time. Last year, PFF graded him with the 37th-best pass rushing grade in the league.

Up to now, health had hardly been an issue for Williams. In two years of NFL play, Williams only missed two games, both in his rookie season, and one of them was the result of a car accident. He was arrested shortly before the 2023 season but didn’t end up missing any time as a result of the incident.

With two of his competitors for snaps, Armstrong and Fowler, now set to take starting reps for the division-rival Commanders, Williams was in line for a larger responsibility and snap share in 2024. After running fifth and fourth on the depth chart in his first two seasons, Williams had once again worked his way up and was set to run as the third defensive end for the year.

The team utilized a second-round pick on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland in April to helps minimize the impact of Armstrong and Fowler’s departures, but now, Kneeland will likely be asked to step up into the role Williams was set up for. Kneeland wasn’t an elite pass rusher for the Broncos, only amassing 13.0 sacks in five years; his seasons in college actually much resembled the NFL production of Williams’ first two years, so perhaps he’s well-equipped to step into that role.

Unless Dallas turns to the veteran free agent market, which they may have to do, the Cowboys will have to rely on other players for that lost depth. Viliami Fehoko returns in 2024. A fourth-round rookie last year, Fehoko failed to make any game appearances before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in mid-November. He was activated in January but still didn’t see the field. Tyrus Wheat is the other depth option after appearing in 12 games for the Cowboys last year as an undrafted rookie.

While that may not be enough for Dallas, and they may need to seek some free agent help, one thing that’s certain is that Williams will not be able to contribute this year. That makes 2025 a crucial year for Williams as it will be the final year of his rookie contract and his final chance to show what he can bring to a defense that already rosters an All-Pro star in Parsons.

Cowboys DE Sam Williams’ Role To Increase

June 26th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn did well to raid the Cowboys’ roster, signing three of the team’s free agents. Two of those additions — edge rushers Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler — are set to serve as Commanders defensive ends as the team regroups post-Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

The Armstrong and Fowler defections wound the Cowboys’ D-line, but they do not exactly gut the unit. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain, and the Cowboys will gain a clearer picture of what they have in 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams. An earlier report pegged Williams as likely to play more in 2024; the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore indicates he is the lead candidate to be the Cowboys’ top rusher off the bench this season.

While the Quinn connection opened the door to Fowler and Armstrong making intra-NFC East relocations, Moore adds the Cowboys deeming Williams readier for more work helped lead the older pass rushers to Washington. Despite Williams missing two games as a rookie, he logged only 30 more defensive snaps (303) in 2023. With Armstrong (468) out of the picture, the former second-round pick will be a more important part of Dallas’ pass rush this season.

Williams, 25, recorded 4.5 sacks last season; that eclipsed his 2022 number (four). Though, the Ole Miss product tallied just nine QB hits. And his 17 QB pressures did not rank in the top five among Cowboys. Williams did total 10 tackles for loss as a rookie, showing signs of potential. Leading the way for the Cowboys’ DE3 role, Williams could begin a true course for a lucrative second contract by making strides this year.

This gig netted Armstrong a three-year, $33MM Washington accord, one that came after he played out a two-year, $14MM contract following Randy Gregory‘s about-face that closed an unusual round of negotiations. A month after Gregory’s Denver departure, the Cowboys chose Williams 56th overall. The team gave Fowler another one-year contract in 2023, however, restricting Williams’ upward mobility. The ex-Quinn Falcons charge played in all 17 games, totaling four sacks as a supporting-caster.

The Cowboys placed a premium on a well-stocked pass-rushing crew, drafting Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland 56th overall. A rumored sleeper who booked 16 pre-draft visits, Kneeland joins Williams as a potential auxiliary rusher in Dallas. Williams compiled a better college resume, notching 20.5 sacks in his three Rebels seasons. Kneeland tallied 13 in five Western Michigan slates. But this duo stands to comprise Dallas’ top rotational options. It appears Williams will be asked to do more to start this season.

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Tepper, Greenlaw

May 19th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys hit on quite a few of their picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, with first-rounder Tyler Smith reaching second-team All-Pro status last year, fourth-rounder Jake Ferguson earning the starting tight job halfway through his rookie season, and fifth-rounder DaRon Bland leading the NFL in interceptions, interception return yards, and pick sixes last season. Their second- and third-round picks from that draft, though, are still struggling to make a similar impact two years in. That may be changing soon.

Former second-round edge rusher Sam Williams found his name getting called fourth on the depth chart last year, behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dorance Armstrong. It’s hard to imagine being disappointed with a fourth-place finish in that situation, considering Parsons has become a perennial DPOY candidate, Lawrence is a four-time Pro Bowler, and Armstrong is a veteran with 21.0 sacks in the last three years. Still, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Williams wants to play more, and director of player personnel Stephen Jones claims that, thanks to Armstrong’s departure in free agency to Washington, those opportunities will come this year, though he will be competing now with this year’s second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland.

Likewise, third-round wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has seen limited production behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Noah Brown, and Michael Gallup. With Brown gone last year, Tolbert stepped his role up a little bit. After the team released Gallup, Tolbert is, once again, expected to step his game up in 2024. With Lamb and Cooks returning, Tolbert will now be given a larger opportunity to step in as WR3, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC:

  • Many have looked at the Panthers‘ decision to draft Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft as a gigantic misstep, given the vast difference in success each team saw last year. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, some in the Panthers organization point to the S2 cognitive test as the main reasoning for the decision. Per Person, team owner David Tepper, a hedge-fund billionaire and a proponent of analytics, took the S2 test results very heavily into consideration when helping the team to make their decision. The test of processing speed and reaction time has been looked at as a potential indicator of future success at the quarterback position. Young scored extremely well (in the 98th percentile), while Stroud did not (18th percentile).
  • 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw notoriously missed a good mount of the team’s Super Bowl loss after tearing his Achilles tendon in the big game. According to a report from Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Greenlaw told the media that he had been experiencing some soreness in his Achilles for about a month or so before the game. He recently was able to shed his walking boot as he continues in recovery.
  • It’s been over a year since Steve Keim stepped down as general manager of the Cardinals following an indefinite leave of absence due to “an undisclosed health-related matter.” According to a recent interview Keim did with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Cardinals administration advised Keim to check into a rehab while he was still general manager of the team. Of course, the situation eventually resulted in the two sides parting ways, but Keim continues to work on himself following the conclusion of his NFL career.
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