In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Cowboys traded down in the first round with the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third round pick. The Cowboys used that pick to select Terrance Williams out of Baylor University, 74th overall.
Williams was selected with the intention of complementing Dez Bryant as a WR2. While Williams can make some great plays, he’s also blown just as many, dropping easy passes, several on third-down.
With both Brice Butler and Terrance Williams’ contractual clock’s winding down, it would make sense to give both opportunity for one of them to earn a long-term extension at the end of the upcoming season. That being said, could this be Terrance Williams’ last season in Dallas?
Yes, because…
I give Brice Butler, the wide receiver behind Williams on the depth chart, the benefit of the doubt. He was acquired in September, and therefore, missed all of the offseason and preseason opportunities to learn and practice the Cowboys’ offense. He was also injured and missed a few games. But even though he was limited throughout the season, he showed promise in the last two weeks.
When Bryant went down, Williams was thrust into the No. 1 receiver role when he wasn’t ready. He managed only three touchdowns after scoring 13 in the two previous years combined.
More so, Williams tends to catch with his chest:
Letting the ball hit him in the numbers may work for him sometimes, but he runs the risk of having the ball bounce right off the pads for an incomplete, or worse, an interception. Catch with your hands!
The more incomplete passes thrown in 83’s direction, the more likely he’ll be watching the Cowboys from another team. If Williams played like he did this year, then it could be his last year in Dallas.
No, because…
Despite dropping some balls in the 2015 season, he still posted career highs with 52 catches and 840 yards. Real achievements, considering there were multiple backups at quarterback. With Tony Romo, Williams is a different player (as is the rest of the team).
Williams shows he has the ability to make great plays, even when he has to catch a pass from a backup QB with his hands (not his chest):
Ideally, Williams won’t have to catch too many passes from a backup QB next season. Hopefully, they all come from Romo and we could see more catches, like this:
If anything, the 2015 season proved that Williams isn’t enough of a threat to double cover, but he still excels when the attention is shifted away from him and directed at Bryant.
I like Williams. I am rooting for him. At times he can complement Bryant very well. But he’ll have to step up his game if he wants to keep Brice Butler from taking his job long term.
