The Cowboys have spent the past year beefing up their defense, and the early result is a unit that looks a whole lot more dangerous on paper. That upgrade, though, comes with a problem: somebody is going to get squeezed out.
According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, that player should be Sam Williams. Knox is pushing Dallas to put the former second-round outside linebacker on the trade block because the path to snaps has all but disappeared.
"The influx of edge-defenders will limit the opportunities for 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams, who returned to Dallas on a one-year deal in free agency," Knox writes.
Williams entered the league as the No. 56 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and spent three seasons with the Cowboys. He missed all of 2024 after tearing his ACL, but before that injury he put together a useful stretch of production: three passes defended, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 9.5 sacks. He posted 4.0 sacks in 2022 and 4.5 in 2023.
There’s still a case for keeping him around as a depth option. The issue is that Dallas appears loaded ahead of him. Donovan Ezeiruaku and Rashan Gary are the starters at outside linebacker, with 2026 first-round pick Malachi Lawrence and veteran James Houston backing them up.
That leaves Marist Liufau and Williams on the third string, and Williams could slide even lower if the Cowboys keep pushing to add more talent. Dallas has been linked to Maxx Crosby this offseason, and Jerry Jones has never been shy about making a splash.
A trade may never materialize, but the logic is plain enough. Williams is already sitting at best fifth on the outside linebacker depth chart, and if the Cowboys can get a decent return, moving him before the regular season would make sense.
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For now, the matter is headed toward court, with Romo scheduled to appear on September 21. In the meantime, CBS is keeping its options open, even as former analyst Boomer Esiason has suggested Romos run at the network could be finished, leaving a familiar name from Cowboys history in the middle of an uncertain stretch. [Read more 🡒]