Sam Williams tore an ACL and MCL during practice on Sunday, July 29th, during training camp. This is a substantial blow to a defense that has a lot of fresh talent on the team. While Williams takes the season to recover, his absence will leave quite a hole in the Dallas Cowboys defense that won’t be easy to fill.
Sam Williams Injury: How the Dallas Cowboys Can Still Recover
Sam Williams Possible Breakout Season
This past season was a solid one for Williams. He played in all 17 games, forced a fumble, and accounted for 4.5 sacks. He has only been with the Cowboys for two seasons and was able to accumulate four sacks in both. This was supposed to be a season that allowed Williams to truly shine.
The Dallas Cowboys have already lost two other defensive ends in the off-season–Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. With Micah Parsons being moved around and DeMarcus Lawrence starting, it was looking like Williams would get a lot more playing time and the ability to show his growth.
With his third season gearing up to be a standout, to have it end so abruptly must be devastating for Williams, who was looking forward to showing prowess. Now, the Cowboys will have to turn to even younger talent to show up for them this season.
The Other Options for EDGE within the Cowboys’ Defense
Marshawn Kneeland is the second round draft pick out of Western Michigan University that is the most likely to step in for Sam Williams.
Kneeland created 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 7.5 tackles for a loss. He also showed some talent in being able to stop the run game, making his energy perfect for what the Cowboys need this season. However, Kneeland is a rookie. Replacing Williams could be his first big opportunity to make a statement on the team. But because we don’t know what he’s capable of, it’s for sure the Dallas Cowboys will ease him into the role.
The other three options for EDGE are Tyrus Wheat, Durrel Johnson, and Viliami Fehoko Jr. Out of the three, Wheat has the most experience in the NFL but not very much development in his overall game. Both Johnson and Fehoko will need to show a lot of growth in order to truly step into their role on the team. With so few options available, the expectations for these new defensive players is going to be through the roof.
What the Dallas Cowboys Need to Do About Sam Williams’ Injury
This also presents the first challenge to the new defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer. Because there are so few options available, Zimmer will have to work closely with the new talent to get them up to speed on this new Cowboys defense. These rookies will have to move from inexperienced to loads of reps this training camp and preseason in order to be ready for the first big game against the Cleveland Browns.
Although this is a blow for Williams, it presents an opportunity for these new players to prove themselves to a new defensive coordinator with fresh eyes. Hopefully, the Dallas Cowboys defense will be able to bounce back and craft an incredible year from the heart of this tragedy.
Main Image: Chris Jones – USA Today Sports
