Is Dez Bryant what Roy Williams needed?
After the Dallas Cowboys drafted Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant in the first round, receiver Roy Williams said, "ain't no such thing as me sitting on the bench."
Williams, who was acquired for more than a first-round pick in 2008, has been a disappointment since his arrival in Big D. While he has a 1,310-yard season (2006) on his resume, he only has 794 receiving yards in his 25 games since joining the Cowboys.
Like a diva receiver, he had previously pointed the finger at how quarterback Tony Romo threw the ball "correctly" to the other receivers on the team.
But, according to Williams, the on-field chemistry with Romo has changed.
"... this year, we’re connecting like Montana and Rice," Williams said yesterday, per the Dallas Morning News. "It’s night and day from last year so I know we’re expecting big things for both of us."
In the team's first day of organized team activities (OTAs), Williams made a one-handed grab that prompted owner Jerry Jones to ask, “Did y’all get that on film?”
Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins said of Williams yesterday, "Roy came out on fire today. That’s the best I’ve seen Roy since he got here. He looked like a No. 1 receiver."
Jenkins also spoke highly of Bryant, saying the rookie will someday be a "big-time receiver."
I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with Williams for now.
With the weapons in the Cowboys' offense, there may be too few targets for the taste of all the pass-catchers.
But one thing we know, the Cowboys, who invested a lot in Williams, want him to be an elite receiver. And he has been an elite receiver in the past even if it was only for one season. So, maybe the addition of a future "big-time receiver" will be what motivates him enough to live up to his potential.
And maybe, just maybe, Williams will be a surprise in 2010. And this time a pleasant one.
