PFF has Conner Williams ranked 16th

[TwoCentPlain]

Started as a rookie and hasn't been beaten out by anyone yet. Plays solid to good. Very mobile and gives you position flex.
Dude is just plain good. No trouble. Practices and plays hard. Don't understand the hate.

I'm guessing most of the people hating on Williams give a pass to Dak, Elliott, Collins, Tyron Smith, Lawrence, and Jaylon Smith. Anyone looking to hate on mediocre players, especially those making big bucks, have so much opportunity with those 6 players, that they should not even have time to get to Williams.

 

[conner01]

Huh? This makes absolutely no sense. If you don't give someone like Williams a second contract, they hit FA and get it elsewhere - if teams had your mindset, Williams' type players would never leave FA lol

You certainly DO resign players like Williams - if this ranking is accurate, not saying it is, that makes him a pretty good guard and "pretty good guards" are not exactly the easiest to come by. You resign good players if they ask for a reasonable contract and you let them walk if you think you can upgrade or if they ask beyond their worth. Simple.

Sign the elite players
Replace the good players when they get expensive
That’s the only way to can afford the Martin types
You can’t have every oline guy on a second contract

 

[INCowboysFan]

Williams is a decent starting guard. He's no All-Pro, but you could do worse. Thing is, you could also do better and we should be aiming for that. I think he's gone after this season because he'll seek better pay than what we'll offer. So it would be in our best interest to figure out if McGovern can take over and be just as good or better, so we don't have question marks that force us to draft a guard early.

So you are suggesting that we play McGovern over Williams even though we have no clue if he is better just so we don't have to draft a guard next year? I prefer to play whoever wins the competition in camp. if that's williams, so be it. McGovern will get his shot next year after Williams moves on or we'll draft somebody.

 

[75boyz]

Started as a rookie and hasn't been beaten out by anyone yet. Plays solid to good. Very mobile and gives you position flex.
Dude is just plain good. No trouble. Practices and plays hard. Don't understand the hate.

I'm guessing most of the people hating on Williams give a pass to Dak, Elliott, Collins, Tyron Smith, Lawrence, and Jaylon Smith. Anyone looking to hate on mediocre players, especially those making big bucks, have so much opportunity with those 6 players, that they should not even have time to get to Williams.

So true. You just gotta love them Second Contract Cowboys. The prime example of team culture at its finest. I mean, so says Coach Jones, lol.

 

[mattjames2010]

Sign the elite players
Replace the good players when they get expensive
That’s the only way to can afford the Martin types
You can’t have every oline guy on a second contract

There are very few "elite" players in the league. That's why they are elite. Of course you let a good player go if they are asking for too much, but suggesting you don't sign Williams to a second contract because he's not elite is a bit silly. If Williams ranks where he did last year, and it's accurate, you certainly do your best to sign him unless you are confident you can upgrade over him in FA or the draft. I'd really like for us to not have to go into FA or the draft looking for a guard again. I imagine the defense will still need a lot of work even next offseason.

 

[Stash]

 

[conner01]

There are very few "elite" players in the league. That's why they are elite. Of course you let a good player go if they are asking for too much, but suggesting you don't sign Williams to a second contract because he's not elite is a bit silly. If Williams ranks where he did last year, and it's accurate, you certainly do your best to sign him unless you are confident you can upgrade over him in FA or the draft. I'd really like for us to not have to go into FA or the draft looking for a guard again. I imagine the defense will still need a lot of work even next offseason.

We have a guard who looks ready to play to me
MCGovern I think could step right in and has shown just as much in the reps he’s had
CW has gotten better with reps and so will MCGovern

 

[J_Allen]

Thank God this is his last year here and God forbid we bench anyone on this team...

 

[DCCowboys11]

In my opinion Connor Williams has always been playing out of position. I think he has the feet and athleticism to play LT, which he also played in college. He lacks the strength to play inside at G. I really wish they would try him as the Swing Tackle.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

He somehow led the team in EPA last year.

 

[erod]

This says everything you need to know about PFF.

 

[MarcusRock]

He somehow led the team in EPA last year.

What's his Earned Pancake Average have to do with anything?

 

[tunahelper]

PFF.. Yuck.

Conner Williams is good at catch blocking.. When he gets a hold of a guy he can’t do nothing with them.

So I’m sure he will grade well because he’ll always be positioned well and does a nice job getting to the 2nd level.

I just prefer a Ron Leary type at guard because I want someone that can actually move people out of the way and not just leverage a guy and get little movement.

So unless this guy gets significantly stronger I think he’ll just continue to be ok regardless of what his stupid PFF score has to say.

I agree with your tale here. When he loses he gets blown up bad, which sets up long down and distance drives.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

PFF has Conner Williams ranked 16th best Guard. Each team has 2 starting Guards. So if we take out Martin then there are only 15 guards rated higher. He might not be so bad. He is a FA next year I think

Only 14 if you take out Martin

 

[Stash]

Williams is a solid starting guard.

He has limitations. He isn’t the strongest. He can’t really move the big huge DT’s.

but he has very good athleticism. Good in pass protection. Can get out and move and meet linebackers at the second level or pull.

overall he is a solid starter.

will be interesting to see if the cowboys can afford to keep him next year.

Kudos on a perfectly reasonable assessment.

For some reason, people have to go to one extreme or the other when it comes to this guy.

Either he’s great or absolutely terrible. No in between.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Summed it. I'd replace him....not sure if he's bad enough for me to replace him with a top 10 pick though with other more pressing needs.

I am hoping that McGovern replaces him at some point this year. Unless Williams will resign for peanuts he is probably gone.

 

[Creeper]

I can see where Williams would get high grades for certain things he does well. He is the best blocker on the Cowboys OL when on the move. Watch him pull and he always finds someone to block, and he says with the block. Compare him to Tyron Smith who often whiffs on runs to the his side. Where Williams loses points is with DTs who simply bull rush him back into the pocket. The problem is, the Cowboys face some of the best DTs in the league 6 times because the NFC East is loaded with them. Plus, Williams is not a very good straight ahead blocker. He struggles to move DTs to create a hole. The Cowboys could use someone with a bit more strength a LG. I am very concerned with Williams playing next to Biadasz who will just be getting he feet wet as the starting C.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Kudos on a perfectly reasonable assessment.

For some reason, people have to go to one extreme or the other when it comes to this guy.

Either he’s great or absolutely terrible. No in between.

Solid is a cute way of saying he isn't good. When healthy he is the weakest link on the Oline. Now if Williams is your WORST Olineman, that's not a bad thing. Lets hope McGovern can beat him out by the end of the season.

 

[Stash]

Solid is a cute way of saying he isn't good. When healthy he is the weakest link on the Oline.

I don’t deny that. In fact I posted a ‘Weakest Link’ graphic earlier to say just that. When he was surrounded by Pro Bowl caliber players, he was the weakest link. But that’s a few years in the rear view mirror now.

Now if Williams is your WORST Olineman, that's not a bad thing. Lets hope McGovern can beat him out by the end of the season.

Reid Hanson is obviously a big fan of Williams and wrote a nice piece giving reasons why. You should read it.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I don’t deny that. In fact I posted a ‘Weakest Link’ graphic earlier to say just that. When he was surrounded by Pro Bowl caliber players, he was the weakest link. But that’s a few years in the rear view mirror now.



Reid Hanson is obviously a big fan of Williams and wrote a nice piece giving reasons why. You should read it.

I honestly dont think the guy has had one good year yet. His first year was one of the worst I have ever seen. 2nd year was better, but only because it wasnt as bad as the first. Not to mention he got injured half way through. Last year was his first "solid" season. So now he probably has a good year and gets a big contract and is gone.