Dallas Cowboys training camp is finally here and it’s time for the players to grow as a team, hone their talents, and work to get better in order to get to the top of the mountain top once again. During this time, it’s also up to the coaching staff and front office to answer a lot of pressing questions about gaps and holes on this roster.
One of the biggest topics for the Cowboys this offseason was who would fill the hole left by defensive end Randy Gregory after he bailed on the team for Denver over contract language.
The Cowboys’ front office has made an effort to try and protect themselves by re-signing defensive end Dorance Armstrong and signing free agent Dante Fowler Jr. They also drafted a freak athlete in Ole Miss defensive end Sam Williams in the second round of this year’s draft.
Now with a solid core of players that can play right defensive end, the Cowboys coaching staff needs to determine who will be the main guy to play opposite left defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
That is going to be a bit more difficult with each player having different sets of skills that can help this Dan Quinn-led defense coming off one of the best seasons in the team’s history. Let’s run through the traits of each option and see why they could or won’t make the starting lineup.
Taking a look at the 3 defensive end options the Cowboys have to line up alongside DeMarcus Lawrence
1. Dorance Armstrong
Games Started: 8 / Games Played: 59
Career Stats: 98 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 touchdown
Armstrong from the outside looks like the beneficiary of the Cowboys’ loss of Gregory in free agency, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Armstrong, while having limited playing time due to his position on the roster, has been a productive player for the Cowboys. He’s got good burst coming off the line and gets on top of offensive tackles quickly in order to set up his pass rush moves — moves that over the years have gotten better and better.
Dorance Armstrong is getting paid like a starter. It's time for him to start consistently playing like one.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) July 25, 2022
Kelvin Joseph didn't play a lot as a rookie. But depending on how TC goes, he could either be a starter or off the roster entirely. https://t.co/IMAbrSyl51
Last season under Quinn, Armstrong put together his best season in the league and you can’t help but think that the Cowboys are anxious to see if he makes another jump in production if given the opportunity to start for them. Besides his ever-improving pass rush skills, Armstrong is a very good run defender for this team which will only boost his stock with the coaching staff.
But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine when Armstrong is on the field, though. There are quite a few times where you see he has a difficult time with offensive tackles with above-average athletic ability.
Remember when I said he’s got a good burst coming off the line? Well, good isn’t great and when you put him up against these other two contenders for that starting right defensive end spot, both have that great burst off the line. So if Armstrong wants to solidify his place on this roster and become their new starter, he will need to show that his ability to rush the passer has improved but also continue to stand out as an excellent run defender.
2. Dante Fowler Jr.
Games Started: 40 / Games Played: 91
Career Stats: 200 total tackles, 35 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, 10 forced fumbles, 2 touchdowns, 14 passed defended
Always looking to bring in competition for their roster the Cowboys elected to bring in a player that Dan Quinn knows all the way back from his time with the Florida Gators in Fowler Jr. Now, he has a chance to continue building on their history with the Cowboys.
Heading into training camp, Quinn will be hoping that Fowler Jr. can prove him right. Even though Fowler Jr. is the older man out of the group, he’s got a lot of gas left in the tank.
Fowler Jr. is a very good pass rusher who’s had to deal with injuries over the lifetime of his career which is a shame because coming out of college he had his way with offensive linemen. That’s exactly what the Cowboys need… juice off the edge opposite Lawrence. Fowler Jr’s health will be key to his success and ability to take over the starting right-end spot on this team.
If he can’t stay healthy, the Cowboys’ front office may not see a real reason to keep him on the roster and instead try to find another pass rusher who’s on the roster bubble or has been cut in order to find a better pass rush option.
3. Sam Williams
College Games Played: 35
College Career Stats: 134 total tackles, 22.5 sacks, 32.5 tackles for loss, 6 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 1 touchdown
The real wild card in this whole situation is how Williams will perform at training camp. So far, he hasn’t disappointed. William’s speed and raw athletic ability are off the charts for a guy his size, but that wasn’t really noticed in the past due to the way he was used at Ole Miss.
He wasn’t allowed to use that speed and ability in college. Instead, he was more often than not kicked inside where his speed was still a factor but not in the way the Cowboys envision utilizing it.
Cowboys DE Sam Williams, rookie second-round pick, working on bending the edge in Oxnard. Training camp is here. pic.twitter.com/89n0AdqV8H
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 27, 2022
Williams has a tall hill to climb in terms of becoming a starter at right defensive end but it isn’t impossible to imagine either. We know that talent at the collegiate level doesn’t always translate to the NFL game for players. He’s going to need to rely on that athletic ability but he’s also going to need to be a sponge, soaking all the information given to him by players and coaches.
If the second-round pick can do that, he will have a better shot at being what the Cowboys think he can be: the future for them at pass rusher. Until then, the only real path for Williams to become a starter would be by way of utter collapse in play from both Armstrong and Fowler Jr.