The Dallas Cowboys made one of the biggest and most surprising moves of the trade deadline. Right after a disappointing loss to the Arizona Cardinals, they acquired New York Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, giving defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' unit a much-needed boost down the stretch.
Not many people envisioned Williams being up for grabs, much less the Cowboys breaking the bank to get him. But now that he's there, it seems like America's Team is not going to waste any time giving the ex-Jet a chance to show what he's made of.
Cowboys Will Unleash Quinnen Williams Right Out of The Gate
The Cowboys want Williams to help their ailing run defense. With that in mind, executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that the team intends to get him on the field early and often in a meaningful way, according to Cowboys insider Jon Machota of The Athletic:
"I think you're gonna see it quite a bit," Jones said about the possibility of seeing Williams on the field at the same time as Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, per Machota.
Jones acknowledged that the team had to pay a steep price to get the Jets star. Even so, everybody in the organization felt that he was the type of player who could finally solve Eberflus' woes against the run.
"Everybody was totally on board with making the trade. Obviously, it came at a price. But we think that Quinnen is not only going to be a big-time help to our defense this year but for years to come."
Williams, on the other hand, sounds eager to show what he's got. Per Cowboys insider Nick Harris, he only needed a couple of days to take a grasp of the playbook, and he made sure to stay focused throughout the course of the bye week:
“Conditioning-wise, everything, I hit it like I was still playing a game [last week]. On Sunday, I did kind of a mock game, so I could have that same kind of wind. Coming back to practice this week was easy, and it’s a blessing to be healthy," Williams said.
Williams is one of the best interior defenders in the league. Clark hasn't lived up to the expectations this season, but with Williams by his side, this team should be able to give up way fewer than the 143.0 rushing yards per game they're currently giving up, which is the fifth-highest mark in the league as of Sunday morning.
For reference, Williams' 90.8 run defense grade is the highest mark among interior defenders on Pro Football Focus, showing exactly what he brings to the table. If he can make a similar impact when he takes to the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, it might not be long before Williams becomes an instant Cowboys fan favorite.