Roy Williams rumor (1 Viewer)

[Killerclown]

this could hurt his value if that happens.

 

[Jene Bramel]

this could hurt his value if that happens.

Thanks KC. Got a link for this? Just speculation from locals I guess as I doubt Rivera is talking about players on a team he hasn't interviewed with yet.Not sure what scheme Rivera would run in Dallas. A lot would depend on whether he'd mix in a significant amount of Tampa-2 concepts or not and which side Williams would end up playing. His IDP value wasn't anything special this season, and a move to the Will spot in a Tampa-2 might increase his value. Any other move probably wouldn't help his value much, though, as you've said. Also not sure that Williams is a great fit on the weak side of a Tampa-2 scheme. His cover skills and pursuit angles are horrible at times.

 

[Weiner Dog]

I may be in the other camp. I think Roy could get an uptick as a LB. He's grossly over-rated as a DB (...both fantasy and real NFL). As a LB, he'd be a 3-down player with pursuit responsibilities. He would be too small to line-up over TE's and should see few blockers on his way to the ball carrier.

Plus...and most importantly...he will no longer be mis-used in coverage.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Here it is -- Dallas Morning News

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Jerry Jones and Ron Rivera discuss Roy Williams during next week's interview, assuming the Bears defensive coordinator gets a chance to state his case for becoming the Cowboys' head coach.

I'll bet that Rivera would want to move Williams to weakside linebacker in his 4-3 scheme.

I'm not trying to jump on the pile of criticism about No. 31's problems in pass coverage. Let's focus on what Williams does well -- create havoc around the line of scrimmage and make big hits. He's the prototype WLB for a "Tampa Two," the scheme popularized by Tony Dungy with the Bucs that the Colts, Bears and a bunch of other teams use.

If you want to see how Williams would fit in the scheme, watch the Colts' Cato June during the Super Bowl. He's 6-0, 227 -- almost the exact same size as Williams -- and played safety at Michigan.

I don't agree with any of this. Just because he's the same size and a safety doesn't make Roy Williams = Cato June. Creating havoc around the LOS and making big hits are way, way down the list of desired traits for a T2 WLB.We'll see, but it looks like these beat writers are getting antsy that there aren't any Parcells-Jones, Parcells-Owens, Turner-Owens, or Romo stories to write about this week.

ETA: Nearly every comment below the blog entry is opposed to this...

 

[redman]

Am I the only one still wondering why they haven't put him into a more traditional SS role and played him closer to the line of scrimmage? I've never understood the insistence upon playing him at FS when his coverage skills are so average (at best, and at times awful) and when the best part of his game is hitting and tackling. He's essentially to the Cowboys what Alvin Walton was to the 'Skins 20 years ago.

 

[Achilles]

I agree with Weiner Dog. Williams is better suited closer to the line of scrimmage rather than playing the deep zone.

I may be in the other camp. I think Roy could get an uptick as a LB. He's grossly over-rated as a DB (...both fantasy and real NFL). As a LB, he'd be a 3-down player with pursuit responsibilities. He would be too small to line-up over TE's and should see few blockers on his way to the ball carrier.Plus...and most importantly...he will no longer be mis-used in coverage.

 

[TME]

I did not know Dallas defense needed to be completely revamped. But seriously, going to a T2 would be tough for them. They have spent the past couple years investing in 3-4 personnel. If Dallas would try to go T2:

- You need two safety's that can cover deep. Maybe they can pull that off it Henry moves over from corner.

- You can get by with less than spectacular cover corners, which basically waste the investment in Newman.

- You need defense ends that can get up the field. They have none.

- They would have too many DL fitting the NT role (overall major issues with their current DL personnel).

- And most importantly, what happens to your best player - Ware? He would not have the same opportunities at SLB in T2 and could only be situational DE at best, if at all.

That's just a cliff notes summary. Going back to a 4-3 would be a couple year process for them, if they wanted. They would have major personnel issues, but I guess Roy Williams would have a position.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

Iwonder if Greg Williams would do the same thing with Sean Taylor

 

[redman]

Iwonder if Greg Williams would do the same thing with Sean Taylor

I hope not, at least for a while. Taylor is more rangy, athletic and fast than Williams. He's got a far better ability to cover receivers in single coverage than Williams does. Remember how well he covered Randy Moss deep when they played the Vikings in week 17 of 2004? I agree that you wouldn't know that from this past season when so many things went wrong on defense, but pushing him to SS would underutilize his skills IMHO. He needs to have a solid SS next to him and to stop making mental mistakes.

 

[WhoDat]

I did not know Dallas defense needed to be completely revamped. But seriously, going to a T2 would be tough for them. They have spent the past couple years investing in 3-4 personnel. If Dallas would try to go T2:- You need two safety's that can cover deep. Maybe they can pull that off it Henry moves over from corner.- You can get by with less than spectacular cover corners, which basically waste the investment in Newman.- You need defense ends that can get up the field. They have none.- They would have too many DL fitting the NT role (overall major issues with their current DL personnel).- And most importantly, what happens to your best player - Ware? He would not have the same opportunities at SLB in T2 and could only be situational DE at best, if at all.That's just a cliff notes summary. Going back to a 4-3 would be a couple year process for them, if they wanted. They would have major personnel issues, but I guess Roy Williams would have a position.

There is also a significant roster impact on moving back from the 3-4 to the 4-3. In the simplest terms the 3-4 is far cheaper to run and you typically house defensive players that have a wide array of skills. Conversely, the 4-3 uses more cap space on defensive players and those same defensive players tend to be more specialized. I cannot see the team doing that right now.

 

[Biabreakable]

I did not know Dallas defense needed to be completely revamped. But seriously, going to a T2 would be tough for them. They have spent the past couple years investing in 3-4 personnel. If Dallas would try to go T2:- You need two safety's that can cover deep. Maybe they can pull that off it Henry moves over from corner.- You can get by with less than spectacular cover corners, which basically waste the investment in Newman.- You need defense ends that can get up the field. They have none.- They would have too many DL fitting the NT role (overall major issues with their current DL personnel).- And most importantly, what happens to your best player - Ware? He would not have the same opportunities at SLB in T2 and could only be situational DE at best, if at all.That's just a cliff notes summary. Going back to a 4-3 would be a couple year process for them, if they wanted. They would have major personnel issues, but I guess Roy Williams would have a position.

I agree with all of this. Well said.I would hope that if Rivera did make such a suggestion that JJ would hire someone else as this would totaly waste what they have in Ware and be a step backwards for the defense and the team.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I did not know Dallas defense needed to be completely revamped. But seriously, going to a T2 would be tough for them. They have spent the past couple years investing in 3-4 personnel. If Dallas would try to go T2:- You need two safety's that can cover deep. Maybe they can pull that off it Henry moves over from corner.- You can get by with less than spectacular cover corners, which basically waste the investment in Newman.- You need defense ends that can get up the field. They have none.- They would have too many DL fitting the NT role (overall major issues with their current DL personnel).- And most importantly, what happens to your best player - Ware? He would not have the same opportunities at SLB in T2 and could only be situational DE at best, if at all.That's just a cliff notes summary. Going back to a 4-3 would be a couple year process for them, if they wanted. They would have major personnel issues, but I guess Roy Williams would have a position.

I agree with all of this. Well said.I would hope that if Rivera did make such a suggestion that JJ would hire someone else as this would totaly waste what they have in Ware and be a step backwards for the defense and the team.

It's not a lock that Rivera would implement a Tampa-2 scheme. I'd be interested to see what he decides to do. He's had experience with the 46 as a player in Chicago and he worked with Jim Johnson and his aggressive 4-3 scheme in Philly in addition to the T2 experience. With regard to Demarcus Ware, I'd be surprised if Rivera would use him at LB in any 4-3 scheme. He'd be a waste at SLB in a T2 or tradtional 4-3. He's just as much a 4-3 DE as Dwight Freeney and in fact probably better in run defense. That's not to say that he'd be a great run defender, but if Rivera chooses to work in a T2 like scheme, Ware would probably thrive and become an excellent pass-rushing RDE. He's also expanded his array of pash rush moves.Definitely agree with the rest of the defensive line fits, though. You'd like to have someone capable of collapsing the pocket at LDE (Ellis is dependent on his recovery from the Achilles injury) and a more athletic UT candidate than they currently have. And the LBs aren't a good fit for a quick, sideline-to-sideline scheme too.Still, Rivera has had a lot of experience with a number of different schemes and might just decide he'll work with the 3-4 for now -- like Tomlin appears to be willing to do in Pittsburgh.

 

[redman]

With regard to Demarcus Ware, I'd be surprised if Rivera would use him at LB in any 4-3 scheme. He'd be a waste at SLB in a T2 or tradtional 4-3. He's just as much a 4-3 DE as Dwight Freeney and in fact probably better in run defense. That's not to say that he'd be a great run defender, but if Rivera chooses to work in a T2 like scheme, Ware would probably thrive and become an excellent pass-rushing RDE. He's also expanded his array of pash rush moves.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[TME]

With regard to Demarcus Ware, I'd be surprised if Rivera would use him at LB in any 4-3 scheme. He'd be a waste at SLB in a T2 or tradtional 4-3. He's just as much a 4-3 DE as Dwight Freeney and in fact probably better in run defense. That's not to say that he'd be a great run defender, but if Rivera chooses to work in a T2 like scheme, Ware would probably thrive and become an excellent pass-rushing RDE. He's also expanded his array of pash rush moves.

My thoughts exactly.

Agree. DE is probably the best place for him in such a scheme, but not the best place for him overall. He is a prototypical 3-4 OLB. A guy that can do more than just pass rush from the OLB position. If such a transition was even in the cards, I personally would not be as optimistic for Ware at DE.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Cowboys have apparently offered the HC position to Wade Phillips so the original question is now moot. Wonder if Phillips can get Williams back in the boxscores in a big way. Phillips hasn't had much to work with in San Diego at safety. Using the way back machine, though, Henry Jones had some very nice seasons when Phillips was a member of the Bills coaching staffs (DC and HC).

For now, I'm not too optimistic that Williams can get back to high DB2 value. Many of his bad attributes (pursuit angles, coverage instincts) will be tough to break.

Be interesting to see what Phillips has to say this off-season.