Connor Williams (C-Will)

[armadillooutlaw]

Agreed. I've always been Heath's biggest fan. Dude plays with absolutely fierce intensity. More importantly, he plays with a chip on his shoulder and I love that.

Besides Sean Lee (and D Law's production a season ago), no one on this team has made more plays for this defense in the past few years. I will remember the game winning play at Oakland last season for the rest of my life.
.

My favorite Heath moment was when he knocked Rodgers' smug face to the ground
in the playoffs. I think that was the play that made it 3rd & 20.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

My favorite Heath moment was when he knocked Rodgers' smug face to the ground
in the playoffs. I think that was the play that made it 3rd & 20.

And then the following play, we chase him out of the pocket and he converts that 3rd and 20 on a brilliant throw to Jared Cook.

Heath SHOULD have intercepted him twice in that game.

 

[TruBluSince1982]

Just worried in regards to observing him on multiple occasions during TC and Preseason not even getting a hand on his assignment, giving an unimpeded lane for a 300+ pound behemoth to blow up our backfield.

Just find myself wondering how that is going to translate when playing good to great DT' s every week for 4 quarters not just a few series. Especially combined with either an injured Freddy or Smith.

Don't recall this happening so much with Leary or Cooper. Yes I realize he is a rookie, however, that does little/nothing to alleviate my concerns.

Probably would not even mention any of this if I wasn't for also observing Looney not letting them them through unimpeded. Obviously Looney is probably not going to be as good in space but would much rather not have Dak or Zeke getting creamed. Seems like they may be starting him to soon.

If he performs well against Carolina I'll relax.

Haven't heard Nate Newton say very much one way or the other, ( I could have just missed it ). Odd though for obvious reasons.

 

[beware_d-ware]

I think Williams and LVE are both gonna be good players, but they are both about a year out from being high-level starters. Williams plays like a LT inside, he's got good foot quickness and great pass blocking chops for a 21 year old rookie. But as people have said over and over, he needs to get stronger, and it's not going to happen in 3 months. I'm disappointed that he's not more Week 1 ready than he is, but I'm not concerned about his long term outlook.

Likewise, LVE's got all the physical tools, but he's only got one year starting in the Mountain West and plays a position that demands fast reads on every play. These stingers keeping him from getting training camp and preseason reps aren't helping either. He looked kind of tentative in the preseason opener, and I'd expect it to stay that way until he figures out what's going on.

I'm fully expecting those guys to struggle for most of 2018 and improve drastically by the end of next season. You're going to hear people complain about them all year long: "BUST!" "We should have drafted X!", etc etc, but you've got to be patient with young players. It was the same thing with D-Law, Jaylon, Taco's coming around, I mean, how many times do you guys need to see this movie. Give them time to develop.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Many on this site predict doom and gloom no matter what. More so than predictions of glory.
So not surprised at the CWill negativity nor the optimism. I am much more positive on him then negative. Jist as all rookies, needs a year of experience then a co,plate off season after his rookie year.

So,etimes I wonder how much fans are really fans. I don’t mean fair weather fans, but how much do they really follow the draft and the players, and everything that really goes on. I know many fans that hear or read the headlines, or some radio goofs opinion, then just roll with to and be,dive it.
So therefore they are right in what they think and say.

What does this have to do with anything, well nothing, LOL. But just wondering how many fans, and yes they are true fans, and watch every game. But how much do they read otherwise. As I said, I know many that do not. And when I call them out on it, they get defensive but can’t back it up with facts. I mean people I know that I see in person. On here, many seem to be more informed in some way. Some don’t. But many do.

I have seen this doom and gloom comment for almost twenty years on this site.

Funny how those who call it out fail to comment on how accurate the doom and gloom was. Especially when the addition of the "but how much do they really follow the draft and the players, and everything that really goes on."

You didn't start this doom and gloom commentary, so don't take this as a shot. But for a long, long time people have been looking at this team and offering their assessments, only to get the doom and gloom label, along with haters, shoved back at them. And yet if we were to add up all the successes and failures, those taking the position of doubt have been right far more times than wrong.

The facts tend to be the times this team has actually been to the play-offs, won in the play-offs, and been to the NFC Championship game since 1996. I'm not a stats guy, but it seems those stats have a bearing on this more than anything else. And tend to prove the, 'doom and gloom,' which has echoed through this site for nigh two decades.

 

[T-RO]

Yes, Sturm is awesome.

It's amazing that in his side job he is radically better than media that "analyze" the team team as their primary job (see Brian Broaddus).

Intelligence always eventually triumphs over experienced stupid people.

Sturm is awesome. It’s highly unfortunate that he landed at theAthletic. I am very much regretting subscribing there and already cancelled my renewal.

 

[CouchCoach]

Too early to tell how he will do this season but he's got something to build on in the strength department and the really great plays OL make are the ones that they don't give up a big play to the D.

He hasn't played against starters for an entire game yet so we have little idea how he will perform but he will need those other 4 starters in there with him to progress, especially Yosemite who can help him with the mental aspects of the position.

He's from UT so he gets some love because of that but he's got to step up and play and not be the weak link.

 

[xwalker]

question is if he is another parnell...

Does not fit the criteria.

To win the Jermey Parnell memorial award, the player must be overlooked or criticized by most fans/media.

It's likely that Brian Broaddus will have a negative opinion of the player.

I was all set to possibly give the award to Marcus Martin but he got injured.

Last year I gave a Parnell honorary mention award to Jonathan Cooper.

Seriously, the core of the Parnell praise was done because most media and fans either overlooked him or said he sucked. Both Broaddus and Mickey disliked him.

Parnell was basically my case study of media/fan narratives. Without a media person like Broddus telling people that Parnell was good, fans and other media couldn't form their own opinions.

Bob Sturm was the only media person that recognized that Parnell was actually quite good but he didn't get much interest when he blogged about Parnell and therefore didn't spend much time on it.

He started 7 games in 2014 including two playoff games and gave up a total of 1 sack.

Even then Broaddus never admitted he was wrong.

 

[T-RO]

If there is anything a fan can learn from watching one-on-one lineman camp battles it’s that players—even really good ones—dont’ win every down. And rookies in particular aren’t going to win every down.

 

[xwalker]

Lol. Just wait till the season starts. I think he will get better as the season goes on. But people will be critical of him this season. He misses a block and it’s on. Lol.

I do agree that he is gonna make some mistakes against elite players that could be bad. But I think he will get help in those games. Preseason he has played a lot of snaps. Much needed snaps.

What I really like is that he could move out to OT if they ever needed him there. I wouldn't do that this season but in future years it's always an option.

 

[T-RO]

Too early to tell how he will do this season but he's got something to build on in the strength department and the really great plays OL make are the ones that they don't give up a big play to the D.

He hasn't played against starters for an entire game yet so we have little idea how he will perform but he will need those other 4 starters in there with him to progress, especially Yosemite who can help him with the mental aspects of the position.

He's from UT so he gets some love because of that but he's got to step up and play and not be the weak link.

I’m 100x more worried about the health of the line...and the depth behind the starters...than I am about Connor.

 

[waldoputty]

What I really like is that he could move out to OT if they ever needed him there. I wouldn't do that this season but in future years it's always an option.

i dont know if our 2019 draft priority should be wr-g/c-s or g/c-wr-s

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Is Heath a quality multi year starting S in your opinion? As in a guy you don’t think about upgrading in the off-season. I know it’s not the point of this thread at all, just an honest question.

Isn’t Heath already a quality multi year starting safety?

 

[xwalker]

There's 's never been any grey area when talking about the Cowboys. I think some folks have their agendas and do everything they can to prove them. So if they think the team suck, nothing the team does will ever be good in their eyes.

There are a couple of posters here that seem to love trolling other posters. I'm sure if they even care that much about what the team actually does but they love to clip any positivity by other CZ members (names start with A and R)...

FYI, as somebody that always disagrees with me, you're starting to grow on me as a capable adversary (if that makes sense)...

 

[xwalker]

i dont know if our 2019 draft priority should be wr-g/c-s or g/c-wr-s

The 1st round should always be about finding a Star caliber player regardless of position (within limits).

Positions that seem loaded now usually have some players going to free agency. If they don't re-sign DLaw and draft another DE, they could use the would-have-paid DLaw money for another position.

They could do either of the following:
Pay DLaw 17M per.
Draft position X in the 1st.

Pay 17M per for the top Free Agent at position X.
Draft a DE in the 1st.

 

[waldoputty]

The 1st round should always be about finding a Star caliber player regardless of position (within limits).

Positions that seem loaded now usually have some players going to free agency. If they don't re-sign DLaw and draft another DE, they could use the would-have-paid DLaw money for another position.

They could do either of the following:
Pay DLaw 17M per.
Draft position X in the 1st.

Pay 17M per for the top Free Agent at position X.
Draft a DE in the 1st.

there usually are highly rated wr and c/g at the end of the 1st round...

 

[jterrell]

I've noticed bloggers/fans are either proclaiming greatness and draft steal OR claiming season doom in regards to C-Will.

It just find it interesting because he is clearly not on either extreme at this point.

He looks like he'll be very good at some point but he also looks like he might really struggle in some games against some opponents (Snacks Harrison...).

I've noticed this concept more this year; although it's probably this way every year.

I was looking at the CZ front page and basically all threads and links to blogging sites were either exclaiming a player or the team as great OR exclaiming there is impending doom.

I personally enjoy analysis that is neither and just looks at a player or the roster to point out both the good and bad.

CWill is a pretty known commodity as far as rookies go, which is not much.
He needs more strength and he is changing positions os technique will come in time as will strength.

He is also among the very best LG athletes in football so the stuff on the move and at the 2nd level will be a plus.

Doubt you see Dallas run behind him on 3rd and 1 but he's a guy that should be more than adequate now and eventually really good.
How easily he adds strength and such is anyone's guess but all these OL get stronger as they age and as they focus on that in weight rooms.

 

[jterrell]

CWill is a pretty known commodity as far as rookies go, which is not much.
He needs more strength and he is changing positions os technique will come in time as will strength.

He is also among the very best LG athletes in football so the stuff on the move and at the 2nd level will be a plus.

Doubt you see Dallas run behind him on 3rd and 1 but he's a guy that should be more than adequate now and eventually really good.
How easily he adds strength and such is anyone's guess but all these OL get stronger as they age and as they focus on that in weight rooms.

I would compare him very much with Travis Frederick as a rookie.

 

[waving monkey]

I've noticed bloggers/fans are either proclaiming greatness and draft steal OR claiming season doom in regards to C-Will.

It just find it interesting because he is clearly not on either extreme at this point.

He looks like he'll be very good at some point but he also looks like he might really struggle in some games against some opponents (Snacks Harrison...).

I've noticed this concept more this year; although it's probably this way every year.

I was looking at the CZ front page and basically all threads and links to blogging sites were either exclaiming a player or the team as great OR exclaiming there is impending doom.

I personally enjoy analysis that is neither and just looks at a player or the roster to point out both the good and bad.

For me the LG position was the key in the draft and when CWill fall to us I just got very excited. Plus super kid.
I was hyping out of relief I suppose.

 

[superonyx]

Didn’t you predict he would be the “weakest link on our line for years to come” on another thread? That would seem to be picking a side way too early.

Nope