I watched Darren Woodson for 12 yrs. Roy, you're no Darren Woodson...

[cobra]

With every year that we have been unable to replace him, I value him more.

Uh... there's only been 1. He retired last season...

 

[2much2soon]

David and Alexander, thanks for pointing out some of Woodson's shortcomings.
I see a lot of posts on here by people that seem to forget Woodson getting torched or having balls hit him in the back of the head in coverage later in his career. That used to drive me absolutely crazy.
Woodson was a great player but it wasn't all rosey the last few years he played. His best years were played with guys like Deion, Brock Marion, and Kevin Smith alongside him. Not to mention several years with top-notch LBs and Dlinemen.
Roy Williams has never played with the same level of talent.

 

[Chuck 54]

A lot of people aren't Darren Woodson. Roy is still a very good safety and a playmaker in his own right.

Some of ya'll would never be satisfied....but you don't deserve the right to ***ch unless you can do better yourself imo.

You have a right to your opinion, but you're definitely wrong about having the right to complain or question any and everything...we have more right than anyone...without fans, there would be no NFL, no players union, no jobs, no games, no nothing.

The NFL exists to entertain us....Fans are the engine that drives any pro sports league....if you don't buy it, look into the NHL.

 

[diehard2294]

I wish Darren Woodson would coach our secondary

a good player doesn't always mean they will be good coaches.

 

[Vertigo_17]

Couldn't you also point out the fact that during the late stages of his career when he was a "liability" that we were misusing him? He was matched up against slot receivers each year, when he really lost the ability to do so around 1996.

Coincidentally the same person that is our defensive coordinator now was the secondary coach for the last few years of Darren's career.

Yes, the beginning of the "interchangable" safeties defense by Mike Zimmer.

 

[RoyWilliams]

I'm the best ever fools.

 

[Rogerthat12]

I hope Roy becomes as good as Darren Woodson, but thus far he is not. Please don't give me the speech about FS or SS. I'm talking about a total football player. Darren was a TOTAL football player. With every year that we have been unable to replace him, I value him more. Give Jimmy Johnson some credit for this brilliant draft choice.

By the way, I saw Darren today for the first time as a football analyst on ESPN (I don't know how long he has been doing it - I don't get to see ESPN much). He may be better than Troy, Michael, or Emmitt. Very sharp.

DARREN FOR THE RING OF HONOR!!!!!!!

No Roy Williams is Roy Williams and Darren Woodson is Darren Woodson

 

[Alexander]

I'm the best ever fools.

Hi Roy.

Why are you so fat these days?

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Darren Woodson = SS god

Long before I began following the Cowboys as a team, I admired Darren's skills.
He was just the complete safety package even if he lacked the kind of pure speed we think of being the prime asset if a coverage safety. But even as he aged, he became smarter and smarter, just as instinctual but with the added value of wisdom and experience.

Really, he made that D hum in 2003. not just the secondary. It was Darren's presence alone that could carry a talented but callow Newman, a 'hitter' just one biscuit short, and uh, Mario Edwards, where is he now, anyway? Carry them to the statistically best defense with Ekubust as the scariest pass rushing player on the roster.

Bill and Jerry still don't seem to get what experience at that position means (and I'd rather have aging legs that come with canny reading of a QB there than in Aaron Glenn's role, so my wannabe GM move would have been Sharper before Glenn, tho no problem with adding Aaron too.)

As for Roy, I got a bit pissed this week in the wake of the Rodney Harrison IR hearing a mediot lauding the Pats strong safety as the 'best safety in run support in the league".

Damn, that is what should be being said of Roy, not Rodney, at this stage of their careers. Instead we hear how 31 is not the complete package, or how he's just a hitter, or he stinks in coverage. When at this moment in time, Roy is twice the physcial presence and at least the coverage equal of the aging Harrison. But just as erstwhile corner Troy Brown made a successful transition from receiver to defensive back last year because he was never asked to venture into deep coverage, Mumbles wasn't expecting Rodney Harrison to be Ed Reed.

I can't believe how our coaches can't find a way to get the CONSISTENT best out of this Pro Bowl quality talent. And how failing to address the FS issue once again (Bill and Jerry's 'lowest priority this offseason") will contribute to Roy's skills being mismanaged, underutilized, and ultimately dismissed as 'incomplete" another season.

The best NFL run support safety is Roy Williams..or should be, if the coaches could just get it right.

 

[ManicDepressiveMan]

Woodson was a very good player and a great leader, but he wasn't nearly the playmaker Williams is.

Woodson must have made no plays then because Roy hasn't made any since his rookie year.

 

[Seven]

IMO Roys needs to quit focusing on the big hit, and just focus on making the tackle. You don't have to blow the guy up on every freaking play. Just make the play

Yep. Especially when he misses the hit completly. He darn near took Henry out last Sunday. When there is another Dallas defender in the vicinity assisting in a tackle you can feel them cringe if Roy is coming. He's reckless and is an accident waiting to happen. Roy needs to learn how to play football. Say what you will about his position and where they use him. He's had a full season with out a safety. We are expecting minor miracles in the rookies to make an impact in year one. The same should be applied for Roy....he's had his year. Where was Roy Sunday anyway?

 

[AdamJT13]

Woodson must have made no plays then because Roy hasn't made any since his rookie year.

Here are their 16-game averages (NOT including Woodson's first year, when he was just a backup) --

INTERCEPTIONS
Williams 2.77, Woodson 2.27

SACKS
Williams 1.69, Woodson 1.09

TACKLES FOR LOSS
Williams 5.54, Woodson 4.74

QB PRESSURES
Williams 5.23, Woodson 3.65

PASSES DEFENDED
Woodson 8.99, Williams 8.62

FORCED FUMBLES
Williams 2.77, Woodson 1.48

FUMBLES RECOVERED
Williams 1.23, Woodson 0.99

TOUCHDOWNS SCORED
Williams 0.62, Woodson 0.20

Roy has a big advantage in almost every category. Woodson has the advantage in only one category, and just barely, at that.

 

[Vertigo_17]

He is indeed Reckless IMO. If his only concern is making the big hit, let's just move him to MLB and be done with it (ala Ray Lewis).

 

[ravidubey]

Darren was great overall, but he did not single-handedly blow up plays. I think it was because he was always our last line of defense and he took that responsibility seriously. Roy is not afraid to take chances and loves to absolutely wreak havoc. As he gets more disciplined under BP he will only get better. And when he hits people...

 

[FLcowboy]

IMO Roys needs to quit focusing on the big hit, and just focus on making the tackle. You don't have to blow the guy up on every freaking play. Just make the play

I agree 100%. I made this argument on another post. Roy misses too many takles for loss because he's trying for the big hit, rather than just tackling the guy. Roy seldom wraps the runner up, rather, he tries to level the guy with a shoulder hit.

 

[dbair1967]

Woodson was a very good player and a great leader, but he wasn't nearly the playmaker Williams is.

totally agree

Roy Williams was a dominant player at OU...at times he has been dominant in Dallas...Darren Woodson was very good, but he was never a game changing player

David

 

[dbair1967]

Yes, the beginning of the "interchangable" safeties defense by Mike Zimmer.

which not surpsingly coincided with "very bad defense"

David

 

[ghst187]

my concern is that Roy is making less and less plays each season. His rookie impact seems more and more distant. Its sad, anymore I don't even expect him to make a big play when we need one and I'm more and more surprised when he does make a play, any play at all. Sad to say this as an OU alum and huge Roy fan.
I focus most of my blame on one man whose name rhymes with Zimmer.

 

[lockster]

Darren wasn't exactly a liability his last 3 or 4 yrs. he just got beat every so often like good safeties do, however, he also was trying to cover for all the other buttheads in our secondary that couldn't do their job, plus he had some major injuries that he played with that most players wouldn't the last 2 or 3 years. He was a player/coach and dang good at both. I've watched Darren take on many off. lineman too. How many safties do that? Darrens athletic ablilities made teams avoid going toward him because they knew what he could do. I take Darren over Roy any day!!!!!! That said Roy has proved he can play at a high level at times. I would just like to see that more often. Now that we know, we should expect.

 

[Tio]

my concern is that Roy is making less and less plays each season.

Well, he is making more plays so far than last year...