Audio: Irvin 'nervous' about Roy Williams - 5/13/09

[dcfanatic]

Since we have heard Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman chime in on the Roy Williams situation recently I figured we should hear from Michael Irvin as well. No sense in splitting the Triplets up ya know.

So last night I check out Irvin on Hannity and not much Cowboys talk, but then I also catch Irvin on Sirius XM and we got plenty of Cowboys talk there...

Irvin on SiriusXM Radio

Interesting comments about Wade and Roy Williams.

Is Wade the type of head coach that can be the 'driving force' behind a rough and tough running football team?

Well we heard that Wade was going to make some changes and maybe this is part of it. But I think if I am worrying about how the offense will work now with Terrell Owens gone I am not even factoring in Wade Phillips at all. He's the defensive coordinator more than he's the head coach.

So from that theory I think the offense is all about Jason Garrett and what he wants to do. And I think it's very plausible to worry that Garrett won't be able to 'slow down' the offense and turn this into a grinding run the ball down your throat offense in 2009. We are going to have to see how he handles the skill position players in his offensive scheme this season.

Irvin says he's nervous about Roy Williams. We probably all are, but some are way more worried than I am and it sounds like Irvin is one of those people.

I am willing to give Roy a clean slate for 2009 though because there were a few things going against him when he came in via the trade from the Lions.

• Romo was banged up when Roy got here so he never even got to practice with Roy until like Week 10.
• Roy was nursing a sore foot and so he was never 100% either.
• This offense already had it's two primary receivers in place with T.O. and Witten so of course Romo was going to favor them because he had been throwing to them for the last two seasons.

Irvin is right about this team having to become a family if they want to win a championship.

 

[theWave21]

Irvin would have trouble playing in this era with ESPN and their sensational rumor coverage. They'd be all over him just like they are Romo and TO.

 

[DallasEast]

In my opinion, people, from ex-Cowboy players such as Irvin to fans, are commenting about Roy Williams and effectively positioning themselves within one of two camps.

Camp A believes that Roy Williams is essentially the wide receiver who played half the season last year. Irvin and others falls firmly within this camp. It makes him nervous and, in essense, he states that he doesn't believe that Williams can play well for a winning football team.

Camp B believes that Roy Williams is basically the wide receiver who starred at the University of Texas and played very well for a very bad football franchise in Detroit for 4½ seasons.

Barring injury, 2009 will prove true for Roy Williams in either one of two ways:

1. He will drop enough critical passes, run incorrect routes, etc., because he cannot "hack it" as the primary receiver within a talented offense, which Irvin and others subscribe to.

or

2. He will play well enough as he did during his rookie season or very good/great as he had in 2007, both of which would be more than enough for him to do very well within a talented offense. Jerry Jones and others believe this to be true.

There isn't any grey area here. People can call him a #1 receiver or a #2 or a #3 or even the waterboy. It makes no difference. He's either good enough or he's not.

Stay tuned.

 

[Apollo Creed]

In my opinion, people, from ex-Cowboy players such as Irvin to fans, are commenting about Roy Williams and effectively positioning themselves within one of two camps.

Camp A believes that Roy Williams is essentially the wide receiver who played half the season last year. Irvin and others falls firmly within this camp. It makes him nervous and, in essense, he states that he doesn't believe that Williams can play well for a winning football team.

Camp B believes that Roy Williams is basically the wide receiver who starred at the University of Texas and played very well for a very bad football franchise in Detroit for 4½ seasons.

Barring injury, 2009 will prove true for Roy Williams in either one of two ways:

1. He will drop enough critical passes, run incorrect routes, etc., because he cannot "hack it" as the primary receiver within a talented offense, which Irvin and others subscribe to.

or

2. He will play well enough as he did during his rookie season or very good/great as he had in 2007, both of which would be more than enough for him to do very well within a talented offense. Jerry Jones and others believe this to be true.

There isn't any grey area here. People can call him a #1 receiver or a #2 or a #3 or even the waterboy. It makes no difference. He's either good enough or he's not.

Stay tuned.

He isn't.

We paid the 20th best WR in the league (thats being generous), the richest WR contract in football. We gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick for him. How nice would our draft had looked with those picks back?

Roy making excuses and wondering why he's the victim just bolsters my opinion that he's pretty dense.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I dont get all the piling on against Roy Williams.

This guy just needs a little time with Romo.



Also, all this negativity towards him could actually hurt our franchise. Seems everyone is in FULL BLOWN destroy mode when it comes to our players.


Let.
Him.
Play.

 

[CATCH17]

He isn't.

We paid the 20th best WR in the league (thats being generous), the richest WR contract in football. We gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick for him. How nice would our draft had looked with those picks back?

Roy making excuses and wondering why he's the victim just bolsters my opinion that he's pretty dense.

This years draft sucked and we got a good player in this league.


Did we overpay a little? Yes. But Jerry thought it was the missing piece to a Superbowl and had he been correct than the 1, 3, and 6 would've been well worth it.


I understand why Jerry overpaid and im fine with it. Especially when you consider what kind of talent was in this draft.

 

[CATCH17]

I dont get all the piling on against Roy Williams.

This guy just needs a little time with Romo.



Also, all this negativity towards him could actually hurt our franchise. Seems everyone is in FULL BLOWN destroy mode when it comes to our players.


Let.
Him.
Play.

I bet if you were foreign and today you decided to become a Cowboys fan and started to read the Cowboyszone that your perception of this team would be that they are just awful / worthless.

 

[Apollo Creed]

This years draft sucked and we got a good player in this league.


Did we overpay a little? Yes. But Jerry thought it was the missing piece to a Superbowl and had he been correct than the 1, 3, and 6 would've been well worth it.


I understand why Jerry overpaid and im fine with it. Especially when you consider what kind of talent was in this draft.

Thats weak logic.

I'd take a 1st, 3rd, and 6th - and a 45 million dollar contract back > One WR with football IQ and injury questions.

Especially with other glaring holes we could've filled with those picks. Weak draft or not, we could've stockpiled some talent. This is just a case of homers being hopelessly hopeful that we didn't make another Gallowayesque deal.

 

[DallasEast]

He isn't.

We paid the 20th best WR in the league (thats being generous), the richest WR contract in football. We gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick for him. How nice would our draft had looked with those picks back?

Roy making excuses and wondering why he's the victim just bolsters my opinion that he's pretty dense.

In rarely surprises me which camp people fall into.

When it comes to contracts, my only concern is how it impacts the salary cap which the CBA pigeonholed teams into "obeying". In all cases, it's Jerry Jones money and no one else's.

Whatever rating anyone labels him with will not matter in the end if he is good enough.

There is always speculation following drafts. The only important thing is which players were gained from them. Roy Williams was essentially that #1 pick. I'm more than satisfied with the two players (Jason Williams and Robert Brewster) most teams would have slotted in the third round. And a sixth round pick is a late rounder which never makes me lose any sleep over.

The excuse making has been virtually team wide and has been kinda pathetic. Hopefully, everyone, Roy Williams included, can get a grip before the season starts. Luckily, it's highly likely that no current members of the team will carry their whining to an even higher level and bawl their eyes out on during a totally unnecessary one-on-one television interview. As the excuses find their way to the light, we can give the players that much credit, at least.

 

[Vinnie2u]

He isn't.

We paid the 20th best WR in the league (thats being generous), the richest WR contract in football. We gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick for him. How nice would our draft had looked with those picks back?

Roy making excuses and wondering why he's the victim just bolsters my opinion that he's pretty dense.

I think he gets a pass for last year... No training camp, Injuries and TO... If he's not in the top 5 this year.. Then I would consider this a bust.. Too many knee jerk reactions on this board... Who would of we gotten with the 20th pick that would of made a impact this year or next? Percy Harvin? Hakeem Nicks? Kenny Britt?

 

[CATCH17]

Thats weak logic.

I'd take a 1st, 3rd, and 6th - and a 45 million dollar contract back > One WR with football IQ and injury questions.

Especially with other glaring holes we could've filled with those picks.

It may be weak to you but we got a former top 10 pick that has produced in this league with a lot of upside.

Like I said... We did overpay. But Jerry was doing whatever he could to get a Superbowl last year so im fine with the move.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I bet if you were foreign and today you decided to become a Cowboys fan and started to read the Cowboyszone that your perception of this team would be that they are just awful / worthless.

That is true.


But my point is... the media is actually affecting players more today than years past. Its a On demand world, play by play reporting, story fabricators. And I not just referring to the Cowboys(although they are a big target). I see it in baseball too. Basketball and Hockey not so much.

You see more and more players giving PC answers and then after a loss just being forced to brush it off like it doesnt bother them just because they want to be done with the media or not give them the satisfaction.

I am all for the media and them doing their job. But some sort of guidelines (moral or otherwise) should be put in place.

For me, I dont need some sensational nonsense story. Give me some facts and good info. Anyday, everyday.

 

[Woods]

I dont get all the piling on against Roy Williams.

This guy just needs a little time with Romo.



Also, all this negativity towards him could actually hurt our franchise. Seems everyone is in FULL BLOWN destroy mode when it comes to our players.


Let.
Him.
Play.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

This Cowboys team better stick together like super glue because a lot of people have axes to grind, including former players, the media, etc.

 

[Apollo Creed]

It may be weak to you but we got a former top 10 pick that has produced in this league with a lot of upside.

Like I said... We did overpay. But Jerry was doing whatever he could to get a Superbowl last year so im fine with the move.

Signing Roy Williams was about the most counter productive move for a Super Bowl I've ever seen.

We paid him like he's the best WR in football though man, and I can make a case that he's maybe the 25th best.

 

[DallasEast]

It may be weak to you but we got a former top 10 pick that has produced in this league with a lot of upside.

Like I said... We did overpay. But Jerry was doing whatever he could to get a Superbowl last year so im fine with the move.

It's not weak at all. Roy Williams isn't a bust. Has he experienced a Hall of Fame type career thus far? Of course not, but he hasn't had to in order to make this offense be very successful. In the end, it's not about SportsCenter highlights. It's about NFL football and Roy Williams has already proven that he can play at this level. That's all that matters.

 

[Apollo Creed]

It's not weak at all. Roy Williams isn't a bust. Has he experienced a Hall of Fame type career thus far? Of course not, but he hasn't had to in order to make this offense be very successful. In the end, it's not about SportsCenter highlights. It's about NFL football and Roy Williams has already proven that he can play at this level. That's all that matters.

He's proven that he can rack up meaningless stats in garbage time for a team that threw the ball 70% of the time.

The minute the lights of the big stage got on him, what happened?

 

[Woods]

It's not weak at all. Roy Williams isn't a bust. Has he experienced a Hall of Fame type career thus far? Of course not, but he hasn't had to in order to make this offense be very successful. In the end, it's not about SportsCenter highlights. It's about NFL football and Roy Williams has already proven that he can play at this level. That's all that matters.

Not sure why it's so hard for fans to let R Williams play this season and then come to a more informed decision on his positives/negatives as a Dallas Cowboy.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I think you hit the nail on the head.

This Cowboys team better stick together like super glue because a lot of people have axes to grind, including former players, the media, etc.

Agree. And if that means going ALL PC on ALL answers for the entire season. I could deal with that boredom if it means winning and total focus without losing games in those crazy creative Cowboys ways.

 

[CATCH17]

He's proven that he can rack up meaningless stats in garbage time for a team that threw the ball 70% of the time.

The minute the lights of the big stage got on him, what happened?

Getting here in the middle of the year didn't play a factor at all to you?


We did a awful job of utilizing our receivers.

 

[DallasEast]

He's proven that he can rack up meaningless stats in garbage time for a team that threw the ball 70% of the time.

The minute the lights of the big stage got on him, what happened?

Maybe I'll break down his stats quarter-by-quarter during his time in Detroit to debate that assertion.

What happened? He played atypically. That's what happened. Will he repeat the same in 2009? You believe so. Irvin believes so. Emmitt Smith believes so. {Fill in the blank} believes so.

I, however, do not believe that the Roy Williams wide receiving abilities are typically limited to that shown during the 2008 season. 2009 will prove some right and some wrong. We'll see.