Can Williams Fill The Need at WR?

It's a cold Wednesday.  My mother forgot to get milk the previous day, so I could not eat my coca puffs.  We were out of peanut butter, so no PB & J at lunch.  My daywas already crappy, but it was about to get a hell of a lot worse.  I find the remote resting at the top of my television, and press the big red power button.  I quickly turn it to TSN, and I watch some of my hockey highlights.  Time passes, then I turn it to NFL Network.  I drop the remote.  My jaw joins in shock.  Terrell Owens had been cut by the Dallas Cowboys.  Adam Schefter is talking about how this will affect the Cowboys cap, while Fran Charles is trying to look as good as Rich Eisen.  My day was then filled with talking about this with friends, who could care less that "whats-his name got dumped by the whozits."  The day is nearing end, and I'm done venting, angry and happy simultaneously.  The Terrell Owens era in Dallas had ended.  The Roy Williams era, had just begun.

In his last season with Dallas, Terrell Owens had 10 Touchdowns for 1052 yards, something any team in the NFL would take in a heart beat.  That was evident when Buffalo quickly picked up the 35 year old receiver.  With his 10 games in Dallas, and 5 games in Detroit, Roy Williams had 36 receptions for 430 yards, and 1 TD.  Now, if you had the option, who would you take?  It certainly appears as if Owens is the better player, but don't let the numbers deceive you.  T.O. is increasing in age, but declining in skill.  He joins a Bills team with a below average offensive line and a mediocre quarterback in Trent Edwards.  Roy Williams on the other hand has Tony Romo, who is one of the most skilled QB's in the NFL (for the first 12 games), and is still young, 27 to be exact.  The term "less is more" works in the favour of Roy, as the Cowboys are expected to run the ball more than ever with 3 legitimate  Running backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.

When he arrived in Dallas, it was apparent that a nagging foot injury was bothering him for the start of the season with the lowly Lions.  It didn't heal, as his play dropped significantly from previous years.  Many say that he's no longer the player he once was, but that's hard to believe.  In 2006, Roy lead the NFC in receiving yards with 1306 total, and made the Pro Bowl again the next year as an alternate.  Stating he has nothing left in the tank is ignorant.

This off-season, Williams and Romo spent countless hours working together at Valley Ranch, working on routes, formations, and something more important than anything: timing.  During the season, it seemed that Tony and Roy were on two different wave links, which led to many interceptions.  One thing that Offensive Co-Ordinator (OC) Jason Garrett wanted the duo to work on was the slant route, which Roy used to near perfection in the motor city. 

With 11 days until the first preseason game in Oakland, we'll have time to see how Romo and Williams look in training camp.  So far, it's been a media storm, as the pair have been by-far the most interviewed of the 80 players at camp.  With a lack of depth at receiver this season, look for Williams and Witten to be Romo's favourite option on passing plays.  Hopefully, Roy can get back to vintage form.