For the second straight offseason, the Dallas Cowboys entered free company with a dire want at operating again. With the theme of this present offseason being the group displaying they’ve discovered some powerful classes from the 2024 season, the Cowboys broke character and truly addressed operating again this time round on day one in all free company.
On the identical day cornerback considerably surprisingly grew to become a way more urgent want after Jourdan Lewis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cowboys at the least did one thing about an already dire place by including former Denver Broncos RB Javonte Williams on a one-year deal. Williams joins Deuce Vaughn and fullback Hunter Luepke as potential ball carriers now underneath contract going into 2025, though the door could be very a lot nonetheless open for Rico Dowdle to return as properly.
Simply round this time final yr, the Cowboys despatched a stern message that followers ought to brace for a complete lot of nothing in free company, even at positions of want, when FA operating again Zach Moss signed a two-year take care of the Indianapolis Colts value a complete of $8 million. The Cowboys infamously known as this price ticket too costly, and with out understanding it on the time all however waved goodbye to fielding a aggressive run sport in Mike McCarthy’s remaining season as head coach. Now, they’ve given the 24-year-old again who will flip 25 on the second day of this yr’s draft a one-year deal value a base of $3 million and most of $3.5 million.
Williams was a second-round choose of the Broncos in 2021 underneath then head coach Vic Fangio and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Beginning only one sport towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Williams nonetheless averaged simply shy of 12 makes an attempt a sport and set profession highs he’s but to eclipse in yards with 903, dashing touchdowns with 4, receiving touchdowns with three, yards per sport with 53.1, and yards per try at 4.4. Williams performed in 4 video games earlier than tearing his ACL in his second season underneath new coaches Nate Hackett and OC Justin Outten, however bounced again to start out 13 video games in 2023 and 11 video games final season for Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi. The number of offensive minds he has performed underneath ought to be a optimistic because the entirety of the Cowboys roster on this aspect of the ball seems to shortly alter to a brand new play-caller, coordinator, and place coaches in all places however tight finish.
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It is a participant that has at all times served in a complementary function, and his arrival in Dallas may very well be the primary signal the Cowboys want to rethink one more committee strategy to their run sport underneath Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams. Williams and Melvin Gordon completely break up carries with 203 a bit in Williams’ rookie season. After getting back from harm two seasons later, Williams was the lead again for what turned out to be Russell Wilson’s remaining season with the Broncos. The quantity of dysfunction they skilled on this aspect of the ball all yr makes it laborious to guage any particular person performances, however Williams toted the rock 217 occasions with Jaleel McLaughlin being the following closest again at 76 carries.
The Broncos obtained again to an incredible stability with rookie QB Bo Nix underneath heart in 2024, however Williams nonetheless led the best way with 139 carries for 513 yards in 11 begins. With the restricted data the Cowboys have made public in regards to the new imaginative and prescient for his or her offense transferring ahead, creating the identical forms of straightforward completions and excessive share throws that noticed Nix go to the playoffs in his first season is an obvious precedence for Dak Prescott. Pairing him with a operating again of Williams’ type who’s greater than able to getting what’s blocked for him on any given play in addition to fluid catching the ball out of the backfield is a optimistic step right here.
Williams is a stout again with an upright operating type who runs north and south and reveals above common wiggle between the tackles to evade arm tackles. When given some open area, Williams will not be afraid to decrease his shoulder and push for further yards. It is a participant that identifies holes shortly and might lower off of blocks from pulling linemen with prime finish stability and a easy stride. Getting the offensive line out in area is one other factor anticipated to be featured extra once more underneath new OC Klayton Adams, and Williams is the kind of dual-threat again that matches what Adams is on the lookout for primarily based on the forms of gamers he beforehand labored with in Arizona like James Conner.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25906333/usa_today_17150502.jpg "What the Cowboys are getting in new RB Javonte Williams 1")
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There are some similarities between the best way Williams runs in comparison with Rico Dowdle as soon as Dowdle was given the chance to be the featured again within the second half of final season. Dowdle’s physicality and skill to place the offense on schedule against behind the chains was sorely wanted. Williams can do a few of the identical issues. If the Cowboys imaginative and prescient is to actually pair Williams and Dowdle collectively in a tandem, with Vaughn as a 3rd possibility, they need to have nice continuity up and down the depth chart at operating again to name a variety of the identical performs irrespective of who’s within the sport. This may even go a really great distance in serving to Schottenheimer obtain the “marriage” he’s spoken to between the Cowboys run, go, and play-action ideas to all look the identical.
Williams led the best way for the Broncos in a single profession sport towards the Cowboys again in 2021 with 111 yards on 17 carries in a runaway win for Denver, 30-16. One thing of a darkish spot of a sport in latest Dallas historical past, they trailed 30-0 at residence late within the fourth quarter. This was Williams’ first 100 yard dashing sport of his profession, one thing he would do once more 4 weeks later towards the Chiefs. It was additionally his first two landing sport of his profession, and to at the present time the one time he’s rushed for 2 touchdowns in a sport. Additionally later in his rookie season, Williams did have one dashing landing and one receiving in an analogous blowout win towards the Lions. He was named to the Professional Soccer Author’s Affiliation All-Rookie crew after the season.
Javonte Williams isn’t any stranger to balling out at AT&T Stadium
He racked up 111 yards and a pair of TDs towards the Cowboys as a rookie pic.twitter.com/kWOUVO0i3f
— DraftKings Community (@DKNetwork) March 10, 2025
The Cowboys shouldn’t mistake this transfer as the one factor wanted to be ok with their run sport going into subsequent season, however from the state the backfield was in getting into free company, any addition was a welcome one. The actual fact the Cowboys made this transfer on the primary day of free company and obtained a participant that seems to be a pure scheme match with expertise taking part in in a committee and underneath quite a few offensive coaches are all issues value commending as free company rolls on.
