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New contract gives Terrance Williams another chance to win over fans
7:00 AM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Terrance Williams should be one of the Dallas Cowboys' most popular players.
For some reason, he’s not.
The four-year veteran played high school football in Dallas and collegiately 100 miles south at Baylor.
He's a third-round pick who's started 52 of 64 games since arriving in 2013, and he made significant contributions to a pair of the most important wins in the Jason Garrett era.
His toe-dragging 22-yard catch on third-and-20 along the sideline in the fourth quarter helped Dallas to a 30-23 road win against the Seattle Seahawks and his 76-yard touchdown catch helped rally the Cowboys from 14-0 deficit in a 24-20 playoff win over the Detroit Lions.
But when he signed a four-year, $17 million deal with the Cowboys on Friday night, the news didn’t generate much excitement.
That’s because there tends to be so much focus on the 27-year-old’s flaws that his strengths aren’t appreciated all that much.
Williams often catches the ball with his body, which can lead to drops when the ball bounces off his chest. Just so you know, Williams did not drop a pass last year in the regular season, and has dropped just eight in his career.
Oakland’s Michael Crabtree led the NFL with nine drops last season, according to Stats Inc.
Williams finished the season with 44 catches for 594 yards, but was not an impact player during the three games Dez Bryant missed. He was solid, catching 13 of 16 passes directed his way for 189 yards and a touchdown, but he wasn't a difference-maker in the passing game.
And fans on social media never seemed to get over his mental mistake in the opener against the New York Giants, when he failed to run out of bounds to give Dan Bailey an opportunity to attempt a 61-yard field goal.
Two weeks later against Chicago, Williams fumbled at the end of 47-yard catch and run with Dallas leading 24-3. The Bears turned the fumble into points and pulled within 24-10 in the fourth quarter.
After signing his deal with Dallas, Williams tweeted "loyalty".
He made it clear throughout the regular season that his teammates and coaches knew his importance to the team even if fans didn’t. Of course, he’d like a bigger role in the offense, but as long as Bryant, Cole Beasley and tight end Jason Witten are the epicenter of the offense, he'll remain the fourth option in passing game.
Wherever he ranks in the offense, the Cowboys need him to be more of a deep threat next season.
He caught just six passes of more than 20 yards last season. He averaged 12 receptions of more than 20 in his first three seasons.
Still, Williams is an important part of the Cowboys’ running game because he's a good blocker who will take on linebackers with the same enthusiasm as defensive backs. On Elliott's 83-yard screen pass for a touchdown against Pittsburgh, Williams threw one block, sprinted 50 yards and threw another.
You’d think that kind of effort would be enough to make him a fan favorite.
7:00 AM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Terrance Williams should be one of the Dallas Cowboys' most popular players.
For some reason, he’s not.
The four-year veteran played high school football in Dallas and collegiately 100 miles south at Baylor.
He's a third-round pick who's started 52 of 64 games since arriving in 2013, and he made significant contributions to a pair of the most important wins in the Jason Garrett era.
His toe-dragging 22-yard catch on third-and-20 along the sideline in the fourth quarter helped Dallas to a 30-23 road win against the Seattle Seahawks and his 76-yard touchdown catch helped rally the Cowboys from 14-0 deficit in a 24-20 playoff win over the Detroit Lions.
But when he signed a four-year, $17 million deal with the Cowboys on Friday night, the news didn’t generate much excitement.
That’s because there tends to be so much focus on the 27-year-old’s flaws that his strengths aren’t appreciated all that much.
Williams often catches the ball with his body, which can lead to drops when the ball bounces off his chest. Just so you know, Williams did not drop a pass last year in the regular season, and has dropped just eight in his career.
Oakland’s Michael Crabtree led the NFL with nine drops last season, according to Stats Inc.
Williams finished the season with 44 catches for 594 yards, but was not an impact player during the three games Dez Bryant missed. He was solid, catching 13 of 16 passes directed his way for 189 yards and a touchdown, but he wasn't a difference-maker in the passing game.
And fans on social media never seemed to get over his mental mistake in the opener against the New York Giants, when he failed to run out of bounds to give Dan Bailey an opportunity to attempt a 61-yard field goal.
Two weeks later against Chicago, Williams fumbled at the end of 47-yard catch and run with Dallas leading 24-3. The Bears turned the fumble into points and pulled within 24-10 in the fourth quarter.
After signing his deal with Dallas, Williams tweeted "loyalty".
He made it clear throughout the regular season that his teammates and coaches knew his importance to the team even if fans didn’t. Of course, he’d like a bigger role in the offense, but as long as Bryant, Cole Beasley and tight end Jason Witten are the epicenter of the offense, he'll remain the fourth option in passing game.
Wherever he ranks in the offense, the Cowboys need him to be more of a deep threat next season.
He caught just six passes of more than 20 yards last season. He averaged 12 receptions of more than 20 in his first three seasons.
Still, Williams is an important part of the Cowboys’ running game because he's a good blocker who will take on linebackers with the same enthusiasm as defensive backs. On Elliott's 83-yard screen pass for a touchdown against Pittsburgh, Williams threw one block, sprinted 50 yards and threw another.
You’d think that kind of effort would be enough to make him a fan favorite.
