A new scheme taking shape should help the once-promising prospect, but the Cowboys should remain patient amid urges of a trade.
The Dallas Cowboys defense - one of the poorest from the 2025 season - is turning heads and raising eyebrows under new coordinator Christian Parker during the 2026 training camp.
That was evident with a strong performance against a stout Los Angeles Rams offense, led by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford.
And maybe it will show tonight, too, in the preseason opener at Seattle.
Players are getting new roles, the teach-first Parker is building rapport, and the Cowboys are getting more and more comfortable about their chances of competing at a higher level this season.
Among those who are confident in his new role is defensive end Sam Williams, who returns to Dallas on a one-year contract.
The "prove it" deal comes after Williams was an impressive rookie pass rusher from 2022 to 2023, but he has not returned to top form since his 2024 ACL tear that held him out for the season.
Last year, the former second-round pick of the Cowboys appeared in all 17 games, and even in a career high in snaps, there were underwhelming numbers on paper, which makes it hard to gauge Williams' true production and value.
Amid Dallas' other defensive chances - like adding pass rushers Rashan Gary (via trade) and Malachi Lawrence (first-round draft pick) - Williams now sees himself in trade rumors.
However, Williams is thinking positively about his place in Parker's system - where he's a more prototype stand-up outside linebacker - because it is more reminiscent of his play style from his college days.
“I like this game. Like I said, this is where I started in this kind of scheme at Ole Miss,” Williams said to reporters last week. “I was very successful at that. And I feel like I’m gonna be very successful at this scheme.”
He's heard the noise, and after an offseason full of remodeling, he's surely feeling the pressure. Still, Williams bet on himself by agreeing to the new contract for one season in Dallas, hoping he can maximize his role into an extended career - with the Cowboys or not.
“I took all the reports, all the negative comments, everything," Williams said. "And I took it in and I looked at myself in the mirror because you can’t get better unless you know what you’re doing wrong. So everything that I’ve seen, I try to fix. Like, even in my room, it’s written on the mirror."
If the Cowboys decide to trade Williams, there would be nearly $2 million in cap savings, which could benefit a team such as Dallas that is already without much to spend. That could especially help in an attempt to acquire a big-name contributor.
But would the likely late-round draft package coming in return be worth removing a depth piece from a significant position group?
Even though it's a lesser role than expected from a player two years removed from 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons, Williams' rare combination of speed and power provides positional insurance that every NFL team covets on the edge. And if Williams' belief in Parker's system is any indication of more comfort, then we can expect to see a more productive player once he takes the field.
Williams is joined by Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston, Jaishawn Barham and Marist Liufau in an edge rusher/outside linebacker group that many believe still needs to be improved to match the strength of the Cowboys' D-line interior, led by Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.
A motivated, healthy Williams does more in stabilizing that group than he would as a trade piece.
The Cowboys - at least for the first half of the season leading up to the trade deadline - need to trust in the "work" Williams is putting in at camp ahead of a pivotal year.
"At the end of the day, I just took all the negatives and, you know, look myself in the mirror," he said. "Not blaming no one else and just work. Just work, work, work. Put my head down and let my work speak for itself.”
