DALLAS — Sam Williams is focused on his job.
The second-round defensive end from Ole Miss has decided to empty his toolbox and allow Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to have his way with inculcating him with the appropriate knowledge to be an effective edge defender in his scheme.
"Me seeing that when I came here, I just emptied, like, we’ll call it a ‘toolbox,’ meaning, like I just empty it," Williams told reporters on July 27. "Basically, I don’t know anything and I fill it up with the knowledge and the stuff that I’ve learned over the break that I learned from the trainers, that I learned from defensive specialisst, that I learned from DQ. So, now, it’s like my toolbox again is full so that when it’s game time, whichever tool I need, I’m going to use it at the time.”
However, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has a different perspective on Williams. Although the ninth-year veteran has not had any one-on-one time with Williams just yet, he has seen enough of the 6’-4”, 265-pounder to know that he doesn't have total comprehension of his pass-rushing gifts yet.
"Sam already has some pretty good tools in his box that I don’t think he understands what he has yet, like his speed to power and his double-hand swipe is pretty good," Lawrence told reporters on July 28. "But just focusing on the things that he’s good at and he’ll keep developing.”
Williams generated 12.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss last year at Ole Miss. With the Cowboys bringing in free agent Dante Fowler, and re-signing Dorance Armstrong, who had 5.0 sacks last year, the expectation is that Williams will be a great asset in keeping Dallas' pass rush at a high level. Including Micah Parsons tallying 13.0 sacks as a rookie, the Cowboys generated 41 sacks, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the 13th-most in the NFL.
Lawrence has confidence Williams will be able to give the Cowboys defense meaningful contributions as early as Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium.
Said Lawrence: "I feel like Sam is a great player to come in and be drafted by the Cowboys and be in a Dan Quinn system. Like I said earlier, he has a pretty toolbox that he don’t understand yet, and it’s our job to help him and pick him up so he can be ready for Week 1.”
When Lawrence finally has one-on-one time with Williams, perhaps he can help the rookie understand how much inherent talent is already in the toolbox.
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