BTB: Roy Williams: In The Crosshairs

[Gryphon]

Roy Williams: In The Crosshairs
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88)
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2009/5/16/877609/roy-williams-in-the-crosshairs

Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams has been the object of quite a bit of media scrutiny lately. The media wants to know the answer to the question that has been a major topic on this blog since Williams was acquired mid-season: Can Roy Williams be a number one receiver?

To answer this question, we must first determine what exactly is to be expected of a number one wide receiver. Last season Terrell Owens was the Cowboys’ number one receiver, catching 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. I tracked the stats for the top wide receiver for each NFL team in 2008. The top wide receiver for each team averaged 74 receptions, 999 yards, and just over 5 touchdowns. I for one would be satisfied if Roy Williams could match these numbers…but in this offense I think he could destroy them.

Before we evaluate Roy Williams' career production, can we just throw 2008 out the window please? I mean, Roy had to deal with Dan Orlovsky and Duante Culpepper in a mediocre offense for six weeks. Then Roy was shoehorned into a Tony Romo-less Dallas offense, only to limp through Romo's return with a foot injury. 2008 cast aside, Roy Williams averaged 61 receptions, 913 yards, and 7 touchdowns per season in his career in Detroit.

If Roy can post those numbers in Detroit with a much lesser supporting cast, he ought to be in good shape in Dallas with such a wide array of weapons around him. He may be staring down the barrel of double coverage quite a bit at first. But if Jason Witten continues to be Jason Witten, and guys like Miles Austin, Martellus Bennett and Felix Jones can consistently make defenses pay, Roy may see some more favorable coverages. Roy put up decent numbers in Detroit, and now finds himself in the best situation of his career in Dallas.

Roy can run, but doesn't have the straight-line speed of Owens, or even Austin. He is not overly sudden at the line of scrimmage either. Williams does however tower over his peers when it comes to his exceptional leaping ability and body control. Williams also possesses good strength, and is one of the best in the league at high-pointing the football. Cowboys fans should not be expecting to see a lot of the 60 and 70-yard touchdowns that we saw from Owens. What can be expected is a lot more catches in traffic, a lot of first downs, and a ton of jump balls in the corner of the end zone. With Roy Williams, the Cowboys have a touchdown anytime they want one inside the 10-yard line.

DC.com currently has some footage up of a recent Roy Williams interview. Williams was grilled about his work ethic and whether or not he thought he could be a number one. Roy looked and sounded irritated about having to answer the questions, and I have to tell you I like the fact that he was so annoyed by the questions. If you watch the interview, it quickly becomes clear that Roy Williams is confident in his own abilities. To his credit, Williams has been in putting in a ton of work with Romo, and taking all of the right steps toward making a major impact next season.

 

[Gryphon]

WR Roy Williams ready to silence critics

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Dallas Cowboys WR Roy Williams can't understand why he has been the target of critics this offseason who aren't sure if he can emerge as the team's No. 1 wide receiver. Williams feels he will prove the doubters wrong once the season begins. "People say, 'Hey, you're our No. 1 receiver,' and say, 'I hope you can do it. Good luck,'" Williams said. "I've been a No. 1 ever since I was 1. But I can't really talk about it. I just got to continue getting in shape and prove it September whatever the day it is in Tampa."

 

[DanTanna]

If we take out Roy's 2008 stats, then we have to take out his one good year he has had in his career - 2006.

Roy averages 780.6 yards per season, 54 catches per season with 7 TDs, looks pretty damn crappy to me for a friggin #1. If the average top receiver does 74 catches for 999 yds we are pretty much in last place with Roy as our number one based on his career statistics.

Detroit is such a pass happy offense and they were always behind - Detriot's #1 receiver should have put up HUGE numbers. I personally think Roy is a loafer. HE appears to not run hard if he doesn't think the ball is coming his way (proof on tape), and he was never accused of running good routes or putting in extra reps or even having good hands.

 

[Hoofbite]

If we take out Roy's 2008 stats, then we have to take out his one good year he has had in his career - 2006.

Roy averages 780.6 yards per season, 54 catches per season with 7 TDs, looks pretty damn crappy to me for a friggin #1. If the average top receiver does 74 catches for 999 yds we are pretty much in last place with Roy as our number one based on his career statistics.

Detroit is such a pass happy offense and they were always behind - Detriot's #1 receiver should have put up HUGE numbers. I personally think Roy is a loafer. HE appears to not run hard if he doesn't think the ball is coming his way (proof on tape), and he was never accused of running good routes or putting in extra reps or even having good hands.

Hasn't he been working out all the damn time with Romo?

 

[Hoofbite]

If we take out Roy's 2008 stats, then we have to take out his one good year he has had in his career - 2006.

Roy averages 780.6 yards per season, 54 catches per season with 7 TDs, looks pretty damn crappy to me for a friggin #1. If the average top receiver does 74 catches for 999 yds we are pretty much in last place with Roy as our number one based on his career statistics.

Detroit is such a pass happy offense and they were always behind - Detriot's #1 receiver should have put up HUGE numbers. I personally think Roy is a loafer. HE appears to not run hard if he doesn't think the ball is coming his way (proof on tape), and he was never accused of running good routes or putting in extra reps or even having good hands.

And no, you do not have to discount 2006 as a result of discounting last year.

 

[CATCH17]

Bottom line is Roy is a good player.

 

[DallasEast]

Roy Williams: In The Crosshairs
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88)
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2009/5/16/877609/roy-williams-in-the-crosshairs

Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams has been the object of quite a bit of media scrutiny lately. The media wants to know the answer to the question that has been a major topic on this blog since Williams was acquired mid-season: Can Roy Williams be a number one receiver?

To answer this question, we must first determine what exactly is to be expected of a number one wide receiver. Last season Terrell Owens was the Cowboys’ number one receiver, catching 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. I tracked the stats for the top wide receiver for each NFL team in 2008. The top wide receiver for each team averaged 74 receptions, 999 yards, and just over 5 touchdowns. I for one would be satisfied if Roy Williams could match these numbers…but in this offense I think he could destroy them.

Before we evaluate Roy Williams' career production, can we just throw 2008 out the window please? I mean, Roy had to deal with Dan Orlovsky and Duante Culpepper in a mediocre offense for six weeks. Then Roy was shoehorned into a Tony Romo-less Dallas offense, only to limp through Romo's return with a foot injury. 2008 cast aside, Roy Williams averaged 61 receptions, 913 yards, and 7 touchdowns per season in his career in Detroit.

If Roy can post those numbers in Detroit with a much lesser supporting cast, he ought to be in good shape in Dallas with such a wide array of weapons around him. He may be staring down the barrel of double coverage quite a bit at first. But if Jason Witten continues to be Jason Witten, and guys like Miles Austin, Martellus Bennett and Felix Jones can consistently make defenses pay, Roy may see some more favorable coverages. Roy put up decent numbers in Detroit, and now finds himself in the best situation of his career in Dallas.

Roy can run, but doesn't have the straight-line speed of Owens, or even Austin. He is not overly sudden at the line of scrimmage either. Williams does however tower over his peers when it comes to his exceptional leaping ability and body control. Williams also possesses good strength, and is one of the best in the league at high-pointing the football. Cowboys fans should not be expecting to see a lot of the 60 and 70-yard touchdowns that we saw from Owens. What can be expected is a lot more catches in traffic, a lot of first downs, and a ton of jump balls in the corner of the end zone. With Roy Williams, the Cowboys have a touchdown anytime they want one inside the 10-yard line.

DC.com currently has some footage up of a recent Roy Williams interview. Williams was grilled about his work ethic and whether or not he thought he could be a number one. Roy looked and sounded irritated about having to answer the questions, and I have to tell you I like the fact that he was so annoyed by the questions. If you watch the interview, it quickly becomes clear that Roy Williams is confident in his own abilities. To his credit, Williams has been in putting in a ton of work with Romo, and taking all of the right steps toward making a major impact next season.

Bold--> A spot on observation for what Roy Williams will add to Dallas' '09 offense.

 

[Mansta54]

If we take out Roy's 2008 stats, then we have to take out his one good year he has had in his career - 2006.

Roy averages 780.6 yards per season, 54 catches per season with 7 TDs, looks pretty damn crappy to me for a friggin #1. If the average top receiver does 74 catches for 999 yds we are pretty much in last place with Roy as our number one based on his career statistics.

Detroit is such a pass happy offense and they were always behind - Detriot's #1 receiver should have put up HUGE numbers. I personally think Roy is a loafer. HE appears to not run hard if he doesn't think the ball is coming his way (proof on tape), and he was never accused of running good routes or putting in extra reps or even having good hands.

This makes absolutely no sense at all. None!!!

 

[Alexander]

This makes absolutely no sense at all. None!!!

What makes no sense at all is selectively including or not including seasons when making the evaluation in the first place.

His 2008 wasn't a "throw away" year. He got injured and failed to make an impact. That's all that happened. It wasn't that much of an anomaly, unfortunately.

It was just another year to add to his career of inconsistency.

 

[Bluefin]

The best thing about Roy Williams is that he's a big target who will go up and fight for the football like it belongs to him.

We haven't had that in Dallas for a long time.

Tony Romo will throw to covered receivers he trusts. He's just never had a "go getter" when the ball is in the air.

I expect he will like it.

 

[Alexander]

The best thing about Roy Williams is that he's a big target who will go up and fight for the football like it belongs to him.

We haven't had that in Dallas for a long time.

Tony Romo will throw to covered receivers he trusts. He's just never had a "go getter" when the ball is in the air.

I expect he will like it.

I'd much rather have a WR who can get open versus the one who can "fight for the ball".

Give me a physical receiver ala Irvin who would use his big body to get open. He wouldn't go up and fight for it, he'd win the fight to begin with by using his body positioning to shield defenders out.

 

[Bluefin]

I'd much rather have a WR who can get open versus the one who can "fight for the ball".

Give me a physical receiver ala Irvin who would use his big body to get open. He wouldn't go up and fight for it, he'd win the fight to begin with by using his body positioning to shield defenders out.

Do you think Roy Williams will fail to get open?

Is he going to be blanketed every time he goes out to catch a pass?

Michael Irvin was a master at body fighting and positioning to make difficult grabs, but he would leave his feet to secure passes whenever the need arose.

Irvin would do whatever was necessary to make the reception or to try and stop a defender from doing so.

Williams is a bigger target than Irvin.

He can stop and jump for passes a cornerback will have no shot at defending.

It's a mismatch.

I'm sure the Playmaker could provide invaluable tips on how to be a more proficient physical wideout, but I'm not sure any lessons are forthcoming.

 

[Alexander]

Do you think Roy Williams will fail to get open?

Is he going to be blanketed every time he goes out to catch a pass?

Michael Irvin was a master at body fighting and positioning to make difficult grabs, but he would leave his feet to secure passes whenever the need arose.

Irvin would do whatever was necessary to make the reception or to try and stop a defender from doing so.

Williams is a bigger target than Irvin.

He can stop and jump for passes a cornerback will have no shot at defending.

It's a mismatch.

I'm sure the Playmaker could provide invaluable tips on how to be a more proficient physical wideout, but I'm not sure any lessons are forthcoming.

Williams has yet to learn how to use his physical gifts correctly, nor does he play with the level of urgency and determination Irvin did. Williams' failures last year were not about not learning the playbook. There was the injury and from what I saw, his general outlook. He's not the most determined WR ever. Half the time he looked completely uninterested.

 

[Rampage]

If Romo woulda thrown him the ball last year we wouldn't even be seeing these stupid articles.

 

[Bluefin]

Williams has yet to learn how to use his physical gifts correctly, nor does he play with the level of urgency and determination Irvin did. Williams' failures last year were not about not learning the playbook. There was the injury and from what I saw, his general outlook. He's not the most determined WR ever. Half the time he looked completely uninterested.

I guess Roy Williams felt fairly uninvolved in the offense, so it isn't surprising his concentration wavered from not expecting the ball.

I wish it wasn't so, but lots of wideouts are built like that.

Even Michael Irvin was prone to lapses when not involved early in games.

And I wish the Playmaker didn't come off so "anti-Roy", it isn't Williams' fault Terrell Owens is in Buffalo.

Irvin has a ton of knowledge about the position, it'd be nice if he was in Roy's corner offering up suggestions on how to become the player we need him to be.

 

[Alexander]

Irvin has a ton of knowledge about the position, it'd be nice if he was in Roy's corner offering up suggestions on how to become the player we need him to be.

Williams has been in the league six years. It is not like he's some bright-eyed impressionable rookie who is going to take Irvin's tutelege to heart. And honestly, given the price we paid, shouldn't we already have the complete package? Like Aikman said, we had plenty of time to do our homework.

It is not Irvin's responsibility to get Williams to be his best. It is Williams himself. The thing is, I don't get that sense from him. He'd much rather talk about how he's always done it and that he's really coachable instead of just doing it.

 

[Hoofbite]

If Romo woulda thrown him the ball last year we wouldn't even be seeing these stupid articles.

Come on now. Any other receiver in the league would have exploded with just two looks per game coming his way.

Roy just sucks. We all know it.

 

[juck]

Irvin wasnt the fastest guy either.RW11 will be fine.I do wish we had a burner slot guy though.

 

[Bluefin]

It is not Irvin's responsibility to get Williams to be his best. It is Williams himself. The thing is, I don't get that sense from him. He'd much rather talk about how he's always done it and that he's really coachable instead of just doing it.

It certainly isn't Michael Irvin's responsibility.

It'd just be nice if he appeared to be in Roy Williams' corner offering tips and public encouragement.

And at least Williams is at Valley Ranch several times a week working with his team and quarterback. Terrell Owens couldn't be bothered with something as trivial as off-season workouts and throwing sessions in Big D.

Williams has to be then man in our passing attack and it appears that he's doing his part to prepare for that role.

 

[Rampage]

Come on now. Any other receiver in the league would have exploded with just two looks per game coming his way.

Roy just sucks. We all know it.

what a joke this whole situation is because Jason Garett didn't know what he was doing last year and Romo who rarely threw Roy the ball. When Joey Harrington was throwing him the ball people thought he was a good wr. But because Garrett wouldn't design any plays for him and because Romo only threw him a pass or 2 per game all of a sudden people think Roy can't play wr anymore. now Roy catches all this heat for the "red headed genius" not knowing how to run an offense with a probowler at every position and because Romo was too busy running for his life(thanks garrett/o-line) and throwing to Witten and cancer. But all you hear is Roy can't run good routes....