This offseason there have been some big names rumored to be on the chopping block including Jason Taylor, Chad Johnson, Lito Sheppard and the Cowboys very own Roy Williams. But trading for a big name player involves giving up a significant amount in return.
Clark Judge at CBS Sports posed the question of the exact worth of these players via trade to a few GMs (anonymous of course) and personnel directors around the league. Here is what they had to say about Roy Williams.
Roy Williams, safety, Dallas
He's a five-time Pro Bowl choice who's on the hot seat because, frankly, he might have trouble covering you. And he knows it. He went on Michael Irvin's radio show this spring and admitted that sometimes he wishes opponents wouldn't throw in his direction. Great. Maybe that's why one teammate conceded that Williams "gets a deer-in-the-headlights type of reaction" when it comes to defending the pass. Which makes you wonder: If Dallas were to shop Williams, what would it take to get him?
GM No. 1: "Probably a third-rounder. He's a box safety who's limited in coverage. In my estimation he's overrated because there are certain things he can't do -- though tackling isn't one of them. He's a good, physical player, but, like I said, he's limited. Now when you're looking at what you could get in the third round at safety, there's no comparison. He's better. Much better. Still, I wouldn't give up much more than that."
GM No. 2: "He's always been a talented player, but he's more of a linebacker than a safety who can cover. Someone like John Lynch. It's been documented how much trouble he has covering receivers, but he's very active and very physical. The guy has problems now, so how do you deal with it? The Cowboys do it by taking him off the field. From what I know of him he has no character issues, but now you have some of his teammates popping off and you wonder where it goes from here. But, I'll be honest with you, I don't know enough about the guy to know what I would give for him. All I know is he's limited, and that would make me wary."
GM No. 3: "I wouldn't want him because he can't cover. He has to find a defense that suits him because the closer he is to the defensive line the better he is, and the farther away he is the more he becomes a liability."
GM No. 4: "You'd have to fit him to the right scheme because he's more of a box safety than he is someone who can help you in the passing game. He's still young and healthy, so that's good. And if you find the right club -- say, like a New England, where Rodney Harrison was a good fit -- he can be productive and make big plays. If I'm that team I might be interested in dealing a low second- or a third-round pick."
These opinions show just how far Roy's stock has fallen across the league and how much his shortcomings are being magnified more and more each day. The fourth GM brought up a great point that New England always seems to find a way to fit a player into their system into a position that plays to his strengths. That is what the Cowboys need to do with Roy.
Nick Eatman pens an article stating that although the Cowboys have one of the most talented teams in the league, they could always use more.
Eatman suggests the Cowboys look no further than their professional football cousins, the Dallas Desperados of the AFL. The Desperados have been one of the top teams in the AFL for the past three years and are on their way again for another run at the championship. Although they are just in the AFL, you don't have that kind of success without having some great players on your team. Eatman picks four players the Cowboys should look at bringing in for this season; WR Anthony Armstrong, LB David Dixon, OL Terrance Dotsy, and OLB/S/CB Bobby Perry.
To me Bobby Perry is one who would have an actual shot at making the team.
Perry is a ball-hawking defender, who like Armstrong, could probably benefit from more room to run. The Cowboys had their eye on him two years ago at safety, but nothing ever materialized.
He currently leads the Desperados in both tackles (57 ½) and interceptions with five, along with a team-high 14 pass deflections.
Safety might be the thinnest spot on the roster right now for the Cowboys, especially with Ken Hamlin missing all of the OTA practices and conditioning program with a contract holdout. Davis signed with the Dolphins, leaving just Roy Williams, Courtney Brown and Pat Watkins for experienced depth.
The Cowboys tried once a few years back to sign AFL Ironman of the Year Will Pettis but the New Orleans Saints took advantage of waiver rules and snatched Pettis from the Cowboys. The rules have changed now to make it a bit easier to sign AFL players.
And unlike what happened five years ago to Will Pettis, the rules have changed, making it somewhat easier for the Cowboys to sign Desperados players. Dallas is one of four AFL franchises with dual ownership in the NFL. The league rules now force teams to have a 72-hour waiver period to claim its own players. Before it was a 10-day process and when the Cowboys signed Pettis back in 2003, he was claimed by the Saints on the ninth day, although he was never given a fair shot to make New Orleans' roster.
Kevin Burnett answers some of your questions over at his DMN blog.
Here's a link to video of a great Deon "Cricket" Anderson interview at DC.com.
The man's enthusiasm and love for the game is endless.
CBS Sportsline is having a battle of NFL mascots.
You can go here to vote for the Dallas Cowboys' Rowdy who faces off against Atlanta's Freddie Falcon in the first round.