Dallas Cowboys Spooky Game Part 1: Which 8 players are gone at season’s end?

The calendar reads spooky month and it is never too early to try and predict the gory offseason the Dallas Cowboys could have. Before we get to the list, I want to talk about how eerily similar these Cowboys look to a team from the past.

The Jason Garrett era taught us that things had to be perfect in order for the Cowboys to achieve their main goal. These Cowboys resemble the team of the 1990s as a steady rotation of players makes it difficult to lock onto what this team is doing.

I remember defensive lineman Russell Maryland and Jimmie Jones rotating with Leon Lett, Tony Casillas, and Chad Hennings. Safeties Kenny “the shark” Gant and James Washington would sub in for Darren Woodson, Thomas Everett, and Bill Bates.

No matter the player, they always send to be in the right place at the right time. Although today’s Cowboys are making substitutions for different reasons like Covid, a full and healthy roster could bear the same fruit.

If the Cowboys can ever field their entire team together, the front office could get a glimpse of who they want to keep moving forward. There are obvious choices to move on from but there could be a few fan favorites that could get the ax.

The Cowboys are over the salary cap for next year but the job Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn have done makes me think the team is going to let go of some high price veterans in order to allow these young guys to develop.

The decisions do not just stop with cutting players, it also involves a few players who will be free agents at the end of the year with the possibility of trades. I have compiled a list of eight players who could be in their last season with the Cowboys but should it be? Let’s play a game!

Left Guard Connor Williams has been a popular person to vent or direct your frustrations with on this team. I wonder if it has anything to do with being the person the Cowboys chose over sending the pick over to Seattle in order to acquire veteran safety Earl Thomas.

It could also be the unfair reputation he got for being a guard that could be pushed back into the lap of the quarterback. Yes, Williams occasionally struggles with power but that should be the narrative of his career. Williams has done some very good things in his time here in Dallas.

The reality of the situation is Connor Williams is an above-average guard who is in the last year of his deal. If you do not think that he could break the bank this upcoming offseason then you have allowed your emotions to get the best of you. Every team in the NFL would love to have Williams on their team and it has caused me to wonder if Williams has outpriced himself out of Dallas already?

Dallas Cowboys: Let’s Play the Game

Connor Williams looks like he is going to get a really nice deal in the offseason. If you look around the landscape of the league, there could be a desperate offensive line needy team that could overpay for his services.

If you were the general manager of the Cowboys and Williams’ representatives ask for a five-year $50 million dollar contract, are you making the deal?

Before you answer, let’s take a quick look around the league. Washington’s guard Brandon Scherff has the highest average annual salary for a guard making just over $18 million per season. To compare, Cowboys right guard Zack Martin makes $14 million per year which by the way is an absolute steal of a deal.

Wiliams asking for $10 million isn’t as far-fetched as some might think. In fact, that would tie him for tenth place for guards in the NFL with Washington’s Ereck Flowers. Flowers is the former first-round pick by the Giants who was cut by them and traded by another team before he found his home in Washington.

So if Ereck Flowers can get paid $10 million per season after being a journeyman player, should Williams command more? I happen to think he could ask and get more so are you the reader going to pay him around $10 million per season?

Dallas Cowboys: The Verdict

I have come to appreciate Williams and all that he has done but with Connor McGovern also playing well on a rookie deal, I have to think this is Williams’s last season being a Cowboys player.

Fans from across the country have always tried to replace Williams and it looks to me like they will get their wish as McGovern will likely start for Dallas next season. McGovern will be in the last year of his rookie deal next season so this guard position question isn’t going away anytime soon.

It would also not surprise me to see Williams surpass the average annual salary of current teammate Zack Martin in free agency. It is not always about how well you play but it matters when you hit free agency. What do you say?