There may be others and still others to come, but as of right now 5 players have emerged as the lead candidates to become the starting RT for the Cowboys in 2006. Lets take a look at 'em:
Jason Fabini 6-7 304 LBS
Right out of college (Cincinnati) Fabini was a player that was known to play injured. A reputation that may have gotten him drafted by, none other than, Bill Parcells. Their ties makes him a strong candidate for this job. Jason is a tough and physical T that has started 114 games in New York. If I were to pick two words to discribe him, they'd be durable and solid.
Jon Runyan 6-7 330 LBS
Runyan, by far, has the most experience of the bunch with 10 years under his belt. In his rookie year he played in 10 games. Since then he has started in 154 straight games. That is quite remarkable for an offensive linemen! He has competed on the highest levels. The Super Bowl, NFC Championship games, and in 2002 was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Runyan easily has the best credentials, but will likely come with the highest price tag too. If the Cowboys were to sign Runyan, they would be getting better while making a division foe weaker. Not bad! Especially for a player known to have a mean streak.
Mike Williams 6-6 360 LBS
Williams was a highly touted OT coming out of college (Texas) just 4 years ago. His massive frame opened enormous wholes for Longhorn tailbacks throughout his college career. Scouts drooled over how easily Williams turned defenders completely away from the play. He dominates once he engaged with opponents. If he gets his hands on you, its over! A totally overbearing force, but some say that domination is limited to the running game. His inability to keep his weight has cost his footwork to slow. Williams has struggled to keep faster DEs off of his quarterbacks' backs. The greatest upside to Williams, if he can regain the form that got him drafted as the 4th overall selection, he can be the RT for now, and the LT of the future. Big "if" though.
Kevin Barry 6-4 304 LBS
Barry was an undrafted free agent in 2002 that made his presence known to Green Bay coaches during his first training camp. He made that Packers team, which had an already solid group of linemen. He has started only one game in his career, and was an OG coming out of college (Arizona) just 4 years ago. In 2004, he contributed to an offense that many regarded as having the best offensive line in the game. Barry's roll that year was as the 6th lineman in their "big" formation. Many people within the Packers' circle believe that Kevin is a developing raw talent that is about to bust out.
Tom Ashworth 6-6 305 LBS
Like Barry, Ashworth was an undrafted free agent in 2002. He was originally signed by San Francisco. After he did not make the 49ers final roster, New England then plucked him away off of San Fran's practice squad. Ashworth has started 31 regular season games, and is a seasoned vet with a lot of playoff experience. Known for his hard work, Ashworth didn't know the meaning of "I can't". That work ethic coupled with his tremendous preparation for each opponent has formed him into a very solid RT in the NFL.
.... Well out of the bunch, who would you take?
I think its a toss up between Fabini and Williams. With Fabini, you know what you have. And you would have that for the next 4-5 years. When watching film of Williams, you can see that he can dominate and blow defenders off the line of scrimmage. Words like "unmotivated" "lazy" and "overweight" are being thrown Williams way, and I can only think of another player that was described similarly. Flozell Adams, was all of that, and just like Williams was know that if he got his hands on you, it was over. Flo has come into his own, and improved under Parcells. Yet I don't think Adams is as gifted as Williams. I believe, with the right coaching, Williams can be the best OT we have had in Dallas since Erik Williams was in a car wreck.
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