The Dallas Cowboys found a hidden gem last offseason in Javonte Williams as he rushed for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns after signing a one-year deal for only $3.5 million.
As such, the Cowboys rewarded Williams with a three-year, $24 million extension that includes $16 million in guaranteed money. It's a great deal no matter how you slice it, as Williams is only the 16th-highest-paid running back in the NFL in terms of yearly value.
Unfortunately, context seldom matters to NFL talking heads. That pertains to FS1's Colin Cowherd, who took it upon himself to shade the Cowboys for not waiting (!!) to see if Seahawks running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker makes it to free agency.
"I think (Javonte Williams) is a good player, but this is what the Cowboys do, they wait too long, or they pay too early, and if Seattle can let go of Kenneth Walker with a loaded roster, is this really the best move for Dallas?" Cowherd said.
Colin Cowherd's take on Dallas Cowboys RB Javonte Williams is so pathetic
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
The Cowboys did not pay Williams too early. If anything, it was smart of them to set what should be a frenetic RB market given the talent of the free-agent pool. Cowherd took a page right out of ESPN's playbook by taking a sound move by Dallas completely out of context.
The FS1 personality called Williams a "nice, but not special running back." While Walker put together a great playoffs, are we sure he's "special"? Only a handful of RBs meet that distinction and Walker does not.
More importantly, Klayton Adams' run scheme doesn't need a special running back. Williams doesn't need to be Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs -- he just needs to do his job.
What if the Cowboys waited for Walker just for him to re-sign with Seattle on the first day of free agency? That would have been worthy of criticism. The Joneses make a lot of questionable decisions, but re-signing Williams was the right move for the organization.
If this was meant as another subtle jab at Cowboys fans, it didn’t land. The fan base is thrilled Williams is back. Dallas locked up its running back of the future at a fair price for both sides, and that’s all anyone really cares about.