OXNARD, Calif. – For further perspective, my last column before vacation on July 12 featured the player on the verge of becoming someone special, the guy who was named Mr. Relevant.
Sam Williams.
He was going to receive a huge opportunity, and now this: torn ACL in his left knee. Surgery when the Cowboys return from training camp. Out for the season, what was to be the 2022 second-round draft choice's third in the NFL.
Dang it.
And believe you me, the Cowboys are sick to their stomachs about losing Sam. With Micah Parsons expected to play more linebacker, Sam was going to be a starter, someone who only played 28 percent of the snaps last year but projected, according to new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, to play closer to 75 percent this season.
Mike McCarthy called the loss "a big one."
Zimm classified it "a tough one."
COO Stephen Jones said, "I hate it."
Jerry Jones just shook his head in anticipation of bad news.
And Greg Ellis, the new assistant defensive line coach with an eye on the defensive ends, said he was "sick" about it, saw "big things" coming from Sam this year.
The third-year defensive end was about to become "Sam the Man."
And heck, maybe making these dark feelings dig deeper, Sam gets hurt in a non-padded special teams drill before the pads even came on. Get out of here.
Now, the loss of talent is one thing. The loss of experienced depth is another. Remember, the Cowboys lost starter Dorance Armstrong in free agency. So, too, rotational end Dante Fowler. The rest of the bunch once you get past DeMarcus Lawrence and Parsons, you'd probably have to look up their numbers to know their names.
We're talking rookie Marshawn Kneeland. Second-year undrafted free agent Tyrus Wheat. First-year undrafted free agent Durrell Johnson. Those three guys have combined to play 12 NFL games, all belonging to Wheat but mostly after initially signed to the practice squad on special teams. Just 31 defensive snaps, but mostly at linebacker. Now he's a defensive end trying to make the 53-man roster, though having caught some eyes.
But still. Ugh.
The Cowboys will look over the free-agent scrap heap. But think about that this way. There are 32 teams with 90-man rosters. Thirty-two times 90 is 2,880. And these guys are still unsigned? What's that say?
There are a couple of recognizable veterans out there. One, Carl Lawson. Just visited the Dolphins in April. Wasn't signed. But at least he has played some for the Cowboys' new run-game coordinator Paul Guenther in Cincinnati. Injury issues, though, and unproductive play limited him to only six games last year with the Jets, totaling just five tackles after starting all 17 games in 2022.
Then the name Yannick Ngakoue you've probably heard of. He visited Miami, too, in late July but suffered a season-ending broken ankle in need of surgery last year with the Bears after starting 13 games. He finished with just four sacks. Now, he's produced seven seasons with at least eight sacks, but he's been with six teams the past five years.
Bears head coach Matter Eberflus, the former Cowboys assistant, had this to say about Ngakoue's season: "I think that (his stats) were good; they could have been better because he missed some (games). There were a lot of times he had (quarterbacks) in the shoe there and he could have got him down. We've just got to do a good job of finishing, wrapping up the quarterback, strip-sacking as you come through, and I think he could have had at least three or four more."
There are a few other recognizable names out there like Charles Harris, Markus Golden, Justin Houston, but initially none of these names immediately moved the needle out here to take a shot. Not yet anyway. Jones said they are looking over the list and eventually could do something to grab some experience.
So there is time at least. But the choices are slim.
- Cap Complications: Here is another reason signing Dak Prescott to a long-term extension is complicated. It's one thing to say Dak must be paid in the top range of $53-$55 million for a franchise quarterback as have the likes of Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence, but those guys are on just their second contracts. Dak needs a third, and by the way, that $40 million of signing and restructure bonus he's already been paid doesn't go away with a new deal. The Cowboys must account for that total stuffed into the added void years. So just so you know, in 2025 and 2026, no matter what a new extension might bring, the Cowboys must account for $12.9 million and $12 million respectively, and then for prorating his signing bonus over five years, must account for $13.2 million in the voided 2025 year, $1 million each in 2027 and 2028. It ain't easy.
- Digging In: As expected, the Cowboys activated cornerback Trevon Diggs off PUP on Tuesday when the pads came on for the first time, which always was the plan. As pointed out, they just wanted Diggs to continue rehabbing his surgically repaired knee instead of trying to do so while participating in those first four, for all and intents and purposes, flag football practices. His availability over starting the season on time was never a concern. And now, as McCarthy said, they will ease him into these practices this week, not participating Tuesday and Wednesday in one-on-one drills or 11-on-11. As for Diggs, he said, "I am comfortable right now, but we can't win football games right now, so better to be safe than sorry."
- Where's Eric: Conspicuous by his absence in Wednesday's practice was veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks. Am told minor back spasms had him sitting out and nothing to be too concerned about. So with Kendricks watching with his No. 50 jersey on, veteran 'backer Damien Wilson took his place beside Damone Clark and rookie Marist Liufau when three linebackers were on the field. Remember Wilson, a Cowboys' fourth-round pick in 2015 and having played four seasons in Dallas (2015-18), was signed to the practice squad in the final week of the 2023 regular season, having won a Super Bowl while playing for the Chiefs in 2019, recording 19 tackles in their three playoff games.
- Hello, Tyron: You might have heard Micah Parsons saying he was happy and sad Tyron Smith signed with the Jets in free agency, and for obvious reasons on both ends. First, sad to see the future Hall of Famer leave the team. Happy he doesn't have to practice against "that grip." Micah said Tyron was his rookie "welcome to the NFL" moment. So, like, what took place? Told me, "I walked into the locker room." Seeing this 310-pound man with six-pack abs became unnerving.
- Kicking It Around: This interesting tidbit involving the new kickoff rules: If a receiving team player catches the kickoff with one foot in bounds and one foot out of bounds, it's considered a kick out of bounds and the ball comes out to the 40. Also, if the kickoff is tipped by a receiving team player without jumping before the ball reaches the 20-yard line the ball is placed at the 40. And they even thought about this, like what happens on a windy day when someone needs to hold the ball on the tee. In the true spirit of the "12th Man," a 12th player on the kicking team can come onto the field for the hold, but is ineligible to cover the kick.
- The Maz: You know what? Considering Mazi Smith is practicing for the first time since the end of last season (offseason shoulder surgery) and for the first times in pads Tuesday and Wednesday, thought their 2023 first-round draft choice performed admirably at nose tackle with the first-team defense. Saw one play where he held up against a first-team offensive line double-team on a running play and then slid off to his right to stop the running back in his tracks.
- Extra Points: Dak was on fire during Wednesday's red zone and two-minute periods when darting touchdown passes into tight places … Once the pads came on, Zeke did Zeke, all business, popping through holes in the 11-on-11 period, and one time making a swift step to his right to snuggle through a hole … In the first kicking session of camp we were able to watch, Brandon Aubrey went seven of eight on field-goal attempts between 33 and 41 yards, his lone miss into this blasted wind here came on a second attempt from 33 … Better get to know the name that goes with No. 13 on the white jersey: Wide receiver Tyron Billy-Johnson, who ran a 4.36 second 40-time in his 2019 pre-draft workout and has kicked around the NFL ever since, including last year on the Cowboys practice squad. He continues to show up, making catches every practice it seems … Keeping an eye on these three young corners, Caelen Carson, Josh Butler and Eric Scott, in the competition for the fourth and fifth cornerback spots.
Been a while since having heard this term, so for this week's last word we turn to Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy when asked about veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Like, what he might have thought about him before becoming the Cowboys head coach in 2020.
"Looking back, one of the first things we did when we came here in 2020 was pull up your old game plans from playing the Cowboys and watching," McCarthy began. "When talking about D-Law, he's a bowling ball full of butcher's knives. He's that kind of player. And I think that's what everyone knows and loves about him. Plays hard all the time. Been a good leader for us during my time here. He commands respect, and he's earned it."
So when Lawrence sat down for a little post-practice interview session, the 11th-year veteran was asked if McCarthy has ever called him a "bowling ball full of butcher knives" to his face.
Taken aback, Lawrence said, "You got to say that one more time."
After being repeated, D-Law said, "Nah, not to my face, but I guess that's a compliment, right? I'll take it.
"You know, I try to mix it up every now and then. ... Try to put fear in offensive linemen with my get-off and try to set them up from there."
And when asked how much longer he wants to play, Lawrence didn't miss a beat, saying, "I don't know. How much longer do they want to pay me?"
With answers like that, hopefully for years to come.
