Jerry Jones knew exactly what he was doing on Tuesday. The Dallas Cowboys owner revealed he discussed a "substantive" trade with another team on Monday before admitting Dallas never walked away from its pursuit of Maxx Crosby.
Jones clearly feels his team is one impact player away on defense, and it stands to reason he's targeting a pass rusher. If that's the case, every edge rusher lower on the depth chart suddenly has even more to prove, starting with Sam Williams.
So far, Williams is thriving under that pressure, as he's been among a handful of defensive standouts over the first two practices of camp. He caught the eye of Cowboys team reporter Nick Eatman, who went as far as to say that Williams has looked "dominant."
"Sam Williams has a big opportunity in front of him this year and he looked rather dominant during the team drills," Eatman wrote.
"On two straight plays, he showed the variety of skill set the Cowboys have always admired from Williams, who ran stride for stride with running back Dominic Richardson on a wheel route down the field, and then stuffed the same running back in the hole on the next play. Also, Williams lived in the backfield, creating all kinds of pressure rushing from the left side."
This is exactly the kind of problem the Cowboys should welcome with open arms.
A Sam Williams breakout would change the complexion of the Cowboys' defense
A lot will be asked of Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku in the outside linebacker (EDGE) room. Gary's run-defending chops give him a high floor, while Ezeiruaku's untapped potential could determine just how dangerous this pass rush becomes.
With Gary forcing a fumble on Thursday and Ezeiruaku getting into the backfield with ease, they look up to the challenge.
The Cowboys are also bullish on first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, who was reportedly "dominant" against the run in Thursday's practice, while James Houston finished second on the team last season with 5.5 sacks.
Throw in Williams' surprisingly hot start, and this pass rush may have more bite than anyone anticipated.
The important caveat, however, is that players still aren't in pads. How Williams looks once full contact begins will provide a much clearer picture of his outlook. The old saying "you can only play who's on your schedule" applies here. Williams looks great. That should be acknowledged regardless of the practice conditions.
Sam Williams is now two years removed from his torn ACL
Williams was oblivious last season, but it's important to remember he was coming off a torn ACL suffered the previous year. Unless your name is Nick Bosa, most pass rushers need a full season before they start looking like themselves again. Williams is now two years removed from the injury.
Despite the limited production, the Cowboys brought him back for a fifth season, signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in March. The $2 million in guaranteed money suggests they still believe he can carve out a role. It's hardly a big investment, but Dallas doesn't typically let that money walk for nothing.
Again, two strong practices hardly confirm that a Williams breakout is underway. But it would be quite the development if the Cowboys suddenly had an abundance of pass rushers playing at a high level after entering camp with the position viewed as one of the roster's biggest question marks.
That'd be an enviable problem.
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