3 Cowboys who are living on borrowed time in 2024
The Dallas Cowboys are less than a month from training camp opening in Oxnard, CA. Veterans and rookies will be looking to take those first steps towards building a contending team. There are some new faces but plenty of familiar ones since the team did not see a massive overhaul in personnel this offseason to the dislike of some.
While plenty of players on this team have proven their worth, others are on borrowed time. In other words some players may be playing their last year in Dallas, putting off the inevitable of them finding new homes in 2025. These players have proven some worth over the years but may be seeing their times in Dallas come to end if they do not have breakout performances in 2024.
1. DE Sam Williams
With the Cowboys letting players like Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong walk away in free agency, Sam Williams has shot up the depth chart in the team's defense end rotation. With new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer likely to use Micah Parsons in a variety of roles, Williams will likely be coming into camp as the starter opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence.
Williams has done little to make an impact after Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2022. In two years he has appeared in 32 games but has not started any of them. Most of Williams' playing time has come on special teams where he has struggled mightily. A few games down the stretch last season showed that as Williams was called for several penalties on punts and kickoffs.
Obviously the Cowboys drafted Williams hoping he would become the perfect pass rusher to compliment Parsons and Lawrence. He had 4.5 sacks last season, but as a starter his level of play needs to go up dramatically. Zimmer has a reputation for getting players into form on the defensive side of the ball and hopefully Williams is next in line.
However, the team did draft Marshawn Kneeland in round two this year indicating Williams' starting spot is not locked up. If he produces another underwhelming season, it will not be long before Williams is left to walk in free agency without even any offer from Dallas. It is safe to say his clock has started ticking.