Connor Williams Perception vs Reality

[buybuydandavis]

Connor Williams hasn’t always played well and he had some growing pains, literally and figuratively, in his first years in the league. Injuries and multiple line combinations haven’t helped either.

But this season C-Will has quietly been a rock. Passed being healthy all year, he’s performed admirably well and a lot better than fans give him credit for. Dude is an above average LG right now and has been most of this season.

Williams has the best pass-blocking efficiency rating, basically pressures per snaps with sacks weighted. In 505 pass blocking reps this season he’s only given up 22 pressures. Dude’s been able to anchor like he hasn’t previously as opposed to leaning into contact due to a lack of confidence in his strength. This has also improved his run blocking as he’s been able to move guys in ways he never could. Blitz pick-up has also improved.

What’s encouraging is he was able to gain strength in an offseason where he was rehabbing a torn-ACL. If he finishes this season healthy and Sewell isn’t on the roster he’s going to continue into being an above average LG.

Williams started the season a little rocky. It wasn't looking good. But considering that he came into camp still wearing a knee brace from his injury/surgery from last year, he probably was just out of practice and out of football shape.

And the whole oline, even Martin, seemed to need a ramp up period with the new oline coach.

But Williams developed into a good LG in this league. With Martin out, he's our best olineman. Though McGovern is pretty good too.

Between Williams, McGovern, and Martin, one of those guys can't play G next year. McGovern needs to be crosstrained at C, and given a chance to compete, while Williams needs to be crosstrained at T, in case McGovern beats him out for LG.

Could very well be that McGovern beats out Biadasz for C next year. Right now, McGovern and Williams are our best linemen.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Connor Williams is a solid player. He will always be underpowered, because he doesn't have the power in his lower body to hold up against wide bodies. Where he excels is in pulling and utilizing his quickness to execute reach blocks in the zone game. Where he has shown some improvement, but needs to do more, is to not duck his head from time to time when engaging tackles who have more power than him. When he does this, he has a tendency to whiff at the point of attack. He has improved his positioning against power guys in general, though. Williams will play 10 years in the league at a solid level barring injury.

Williams always seemed like a more natural T to me. Good feet and relatively underpowered. T. His lack of power is much less of a liability against 260lb ends than 300+ lb DTs.

 

[buybuydandavis]

He's not going to get a huge extension. Not even with Jerry at the helm. He'll get middle of the road money, is my guess. With McGovern on the roster and the Cowboys having good depth (when healthy) on the Oline, he has very little leverage. What I do like about Connor, and why I would re-sign him, is that he's gotten better every year. You give a guy a second contract based on how you expect him to perform during it. If Connor contiwto improve, he'll be more than worth the money.

Willliams started here very young. Younger than Tyron was when he started. Even Tyron didn't make the Pro Bowl until his third year. None of Martin, Tyron, or Frederick did until they were 23.

Williams isn't those guys, but they're all HOF quality olinemen, but for injuries, and they didn't really get going til they were 23.

Williams had a particularly tough row to hoe, switching from LT to LG, where power is at a premium. That's the hardest part for a young olinemen. You just don't reach full power young. Even Martin, who made All Pro his rookie season, was seen as having his only weakness as some lack of power, and he was 24.

Williams has developed into a good olineman, and he probably still hasn't peaked.

We'll get a good player next year, but I can't see us resigning him unless he ends up taking over for Tyron. We can't pay free agent money to Williams with McGovern on the bench.

 

[Floatyworm]

Fake News.....He sucks. Media wants nothing more than for us to hang on to this turd. Call the lying media out for this BS.

 

[Bullflop]

What C. Williams lacks in pass blocking ability, he can make up for in footwork!

I'm really curious to see what he might be able to do as an OT. Maybe in 2021?

 

[817Gill]

Love to tell you that this will change minds but it won't. Been trying to explain to people that Williams is a really good traditional LG but nobody wants to hear it.

Agendas are strong here lol

 

[CowboyRoy]

Connor Williams hasn’t always played well and he had some growing pains, literally and figuratively, in his first years in the league. Injuries and multiple line combinations haven’t helped either.

But this season C-Will has quietly been a rock. Passed being healthy all year, he’s performed admirably well and a lot better than fans give him credit for. Dude is an above average LG right now and has been most of this season.

Williams has the best pass-blocking efficiency rating, basically pressures per snaps with sacks weighted. In 505 pass blocking reps this season he’s only given up 22 pressures. Dude’s been able to anchor like he hasn’t previously as opposed to leaning into contact due to a lack of confidence in his strength. This has also improved his run blocking as he’s been able to move guys in ways he never could. Blitz pick-up has also improved.

What’s encouraging is he was able to gain strength in an offseason where he was rehabbing a torn-ACL. If he finishes this season healthy and Sewell isn’t on the roster he’s going to continue into being an above average LG.

get a kick out of you guys that stick up for average or slightly above average/decent players.

why would anyone want average? Average isn’t for 2nd round picks.

The biggest problem for me is that against the better tackles in the nfl he typically gets mauled. Needs to be replaced.

 

[817Gill]

get a kick out of you guys that stick up for , average or slightly above average/decent players.

why would anyone want average

Am I campaigning for him to get a mega-extension lol? Merely pointing out that a guy regarded to as a below average player by many has in fact blossomed into an above-average starter. Why does that offend you?

Team isn’t gonna be all pro-bowlers and you need to be able to draft solid starters, which we have here. Nothing too deep about it brotha.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Am I campaigning for him to get a mega-extension lol? Merely pointing out that a guy regarded to as a below average player by many has in fact blossomed into an above-average starter. Why does that offend you?

Team isn’t gonna be all pro-bowlers and you need to be able to draft solid starters, which we have here. Nothing too deep about it brotha.

Blossomed!

Williams has never blossomed into anything? Lol

He’s the weakest link on a healthy line.

it doesn’t offend me, it disgusts me with such low standards. And then there is the fact that he is oft injured.

he’s a good backup. JAG starter.

 

[817Gill]

Blossomed!

Williams has never blossomed into anything? Lol

He’s the weakest link on a healthy line.

it doesn’t offend me, it disgusts me with such low standards. And then there is the fact that he is oft injured.

he’s a good backup. JAG starter.

He’s an above average starter. Don’t know where you wanna spin that but it is what it is.

 

[CowboyRoy]

He’s an above average starter. Don’t know where you wanna spin that but it is what it is.

And your impressed by that?

Great backup.

 

[Corso]

Fake News.....He sucks. Media wants nothing more than for us to hang on to this turd. Call the lying media out for this BS.

Sometimes when you think like you need to say something?

Don't.

 

[Corso]

And your impressed by that?

Great backup.

Are you saying that an above average starter should be a backup?
Because you're asking if he's impressed by him being an above average starter.

 

[CowboyRoy]

He’s an above average starter. Don’t know where you wanna spin that but it is what it is.

Are you saying that an above average starter should be a backup?
Because you're asking if he's impressed by him being an above average starter.

Above average is a wide range. And who says he’s even average?

he’s a borderline starter on a good line. So basically, he would be ridding the bench for half the teams.

 

[Corso]

Above average is a wide range. And who says he’s even average?

he’s a borderline starter on a good line. So basically, he would be ridding the bench for half the teams.

I appreciate the semi-clarification.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I appreciate the semi-clarification.

Let’s see how good he is this week when he gets mauled by a pissed off ravens defense.

 

[817Gill]

Are you saying that an above average starter should be a backup?
Because you're asking if he's impressed by him being an above average starter.

Lol that’s why I said spin it how you wanna, that response literally makes 0 sense

 

[Corso]

Let’s see how good he is this week when he gets mauled by a pissed off ravens defense.

We'll go over the plays. I'm sure you'll be totally on top of that.

 

[817Gill]

Above average is a wide range. And who says he’s even average?

he’s a borderline starter on a good line. So basically, he would be ridding the bench for half the teams.

No lol an above average starter is someone who is a solid to good player but not a pro-bowler. If you were to give him a grade it’s a B with the recent upswing trending towards B+. A team has to have a good amount of these guys in order to be a full roster. He is a league-wide starter. Not a half-team backup.

 

[Corso]

Lol that’s why I said spin it how you wanna, that response literally makes 0 sense

Sometimes the spinning makes me dizzy.
Someone get me a Dramamine and three shots of whiskey!