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George: Why Terrance Williams is hard on himself when Romo, Cowboys coaches rave about 3rd-year WR
IRVING — The NFL offseason gives players a long time to reflect. And Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams hasn’t always liked what he’s seen from himself.
But talk to anyone at Valley Ranch and they rave about the maturation and leadership growth of the third-year receiver from Baylor and W.T. White.
“Terrance has improved across the board,” quarterback Tony Romo said Wednesday. “Terrance has had one of the best offseasons I’ve seen in a while.”
Williams has taken advantage of more opportunities to shine in practices because No. 1 receiver Dez Bryant is holding out with the hopes of landing a long-term contract extension. That’s allowed Williams more time to build chemistry with Romo.
Romo has been in Williams’ ear, and Williams has also taken a critical look at his game film from his first full season as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver.
“I’ve just really been paying attention to what he’s been telling me and just looking at sometimes when we pull up the old stuff, I’m not being myself,” Williams said.
“I got tired of just looking at myself sometimes taking off plays. It’s one of those things now to where I just really blocked it out. If he throws me the ball, he throws me the ball. If not, I’m just going to continue to do my job every play now.”
It’s not that Williams doesn’t give great effort. No one has ever singled out Williams for loafing.
As Cowboys coach Jason Garrett often says of Williams — and did so again Wednesday — he’s “serious-minded.” And for Williams, it’s more about how much better he can become by giving even more effort on every play, even when the ball doesn’t come his way.
“It’s a constant battle whenever you go out there and you know you can do more stuff than what you’re capable of,” Williams said. “Sometimes I went 90 instead of 100, and it bit me in the butt sometimes and sometimes it didn’t. It’s kind of hard whenever you’re going out there and some games you don’t get a pass.
“It’s just a constant battle with me just talking to myself, and I got tired of just watching myself on tape from last year. It’s just one of those things now that I know I’m not going to do that anymore.”
Organized team activities end Thursday, but Williams will be given more time to refine his game next week during the Cowboys’ three-day mini-camp. Bryant will again not participate in the fourth and final week of offseason practices because he’s not under contract. And because Bryant has yet to sign his one-year franchise tag tender of $12.8 million, the Cowboys can’t fine him for missing the mini-camp.
With Bryant absent the last month, Williams has taken on more of a leadership role.
“He’s a determined guy, and you see that every day,” Garrett said. “That’s why he’s had the success up to this point in his career. He listens. He wants to get better. And he’s certainly done that this offseason. He’s setting the pace for our offense in so many ways. Just watch him practice. He finishes everything. He’s 40, 50 yards down the field after a catch, simulating as if he’s running in for a touchdown. He runs back. He’s in the next play and going. The best receivers, the best players I’ve been around do that. They take that approach and Terrance has really done a heck of a job.”
Williams’ numbers were up and down last season. One week he’d have six catches with two touchdowns and the following game only two passes would be thrown his way.
That’s life on the other side of Bryant.
In seven of Williams’ games last season, he was targeted three times or less. Bryant was never targeted fewer than five times in any game.
Overall, Williams finished last season with seven fewer catches and 115 fewer receiving yards than he had as a rookie in 2013 as the Cowboys’ No. 3 receiver.
“Certain games you don’t get passes and it kind of makes me look bad to where I’m not doing my job and that’s what most people see because my production went from high and then it stopped and it went back up,” Williams said. “So it’s kind of hard whenever you’re going through a full game and you know that you can help more than what you’re doing. That just shows the types of players we have with Dez and [tight end Jason] Witten because they’ve been here for a long time. And it’s just one of those things now to where if [Romo] does [pass it to me], great. If not, I’m just going to keep showing myself because I hate watching myself on film knowing I could have did something better. It’s just one of the things now that I’m just going to give the best version of me from here on out.”
That’s clearly been the case this offseason as Williams has taken his game to another level while not living in the shadow of Bryant.
“He’s become a real polished receiver,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “It’s amazing what’s happened with the opportunity for him to step up into that No. 1 receiver’s spot. With Dez being out, you never know what could happen, God forbid, but a guy has to take on new roles. This spring he’s taken on that role and that leadership part and that’s benefiting us.
“He sets the tone for us with that receivers’ group and in a lot of ways our offense. His leadership has been big. He leads by the way he works and runs routes and our guys see that. That’s what you have to have out of a veteran like him.”
IRVING — The NFL offseason gives players a long time to reflect. And Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams hasn’t always liked what he’s seen from himself.
But talk to anyone at Valley Ranch and they rave about the maturation and leadership growth of the third-year receiver from Baylor and W.T. White.
“Terrance has improved across the board,” quarterback Tony Romo said Wednesday. “Terrance has had one of the best offseasons I’ve seen in a while.”
Williams has taken advantage of more opportunities to shine in practices because No. 1 receiver Dez Bryant is holding out with the hopes of landing a long-term contract extension. That’s allowed Williams more time to build chemistry with Romo.
Romo has been in Williams’ ear, and Williams has also taken a critical look at his game film from his first full season as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver.
“I’ve just really been paying attention to what he’s been telling me and just looking at sometimes when we pull up the old stuff, I’m not being myself,” Williams said.
“I got tired of just looking at myself sometimes taking off plays. It’s one of those things now to where I just really blocked it out. If he throws me the ball, he throws me the ball. If not, I’m just going to continue to do my job every play now.”
It’s not that Williams doesn’t give great effort. No one has ever singled out Williams for loafing.
As Cowboys coach Jason Garrett often says of Williams — and did so again Wednesday — he’s “serious-minded.” And for Williams, it’s more about how much better he can become by giving even more effort on every play, even when the ball doesn’t come his way.
“It’s a constant battle whenever you go out there and you know you can do more stuff than what you’re capable of,” Williams said. “Sometimes I went 90 instead of 100, and it bit me in the butt sometimes and sometimes it didn’t. It’s kind of hard whenever you’re going out there and some games you don’t get a pass.
“It’s just a constant battle with me just talking to myself, and I got tired of just watching myself on tape from last year. It’s just one of those things now that I know I’m not going to do that anymore.”
Organized team activities end Thursday, but Williams will be given more time to refine his game next week during the Cowboys’ three-day mini-camp. Bryant will again not participate in the fourth and final week of offseason practices because he’s not under contract. And because Bryant has yet to sign his one-year franchise tag tender of $12.8 million, the Cowboys can’t fine him for missing the mini-camp.
With Bryant absent the last month, Williams has taken on more of a leadership role.
“He’s a determined guy, and you see that every day,” Garrett said. “That’s why he’s had the success up to this point in his career. He listens. He wants to get better. And he’s certainly done that this offseason. He’s setting the pace for our offense in so many ways. Just watch him practice. He finishes everything. He’s 40, 50 yards down the field after a catch, simulating as if he’s running in for a touchdown. He runs back. He’s in the next play and going. The best receivers, the best players I’ve been around do that. They take that approach and Terrance has really done a heck of a job.”
Williams’ numbers were up and down last season. One week he’d have six catches with two touchdowns and the following game only two passes would be thrown his way.
That’s life on the other side of Bryant.
In seven of Williams’ games last season, he was targeted three times or less. Bryant was never targeted fewer than five times in any game.
Overall, Williams finished last season with seven fewer catches and 115 fewer receiving yards than he had as a rookie in 2013 as the Cowboys’ No. 3 receiver.
“Certain games you don’t get passes and it kind of makes me look bad to where I’m not doing my job and that’s what most people see because my production went from high and then it stopped and it went back up,” Williams said. “So it’s kind of hard whenever you’re going through a full game and you know that you can help more than what you’re doing. That just shows the types of players we have with Dez and [tight end Jason] Witten because they’ve been here for a long time. And it’s just one of those things now to where if [Romo] does [pass it to me], great. If not, I’m just going to keep showing myself because I hate watching myself on film knowing I could have did something better. It’s just one of the things now that I’m just going to give the best version of me from here on out.”
That’s clearly been the case this offseason as Williams has taken his game to another level while not living in the shadow of Bryant.
“He’s become a real polished receiver,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “It’s amazing what’s happened with the opportunity for him to step up into that No. 1 receiver’s spot. With Dez being out, you never know what could happen, God forbid, but a guy has to take on new roles. This spring he’s taken on that role and that leadership part and that’s benefiting us.
“He sets the tone for us with that receivers’ group and in a lot of ways our offense. His leadership has been big. He leads by the way he works and runs routes and our guys see that. That’s what you have to have out of a veteran like him.”
