6 Cowboys on the Trade Block Heading Into Training Camp

3. Sam Williams, EDGE

A second-round pick in 2022 out of Ole Miss, Sam Williams is an intriguing player. He stands 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds and runs a sub 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. During his first two seasons in the NFL, Williams has been working in a rotation behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. He's been splitting time with Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Jr. and has shown flashes despite his limited snaps.

Williams has 48 tackles and 8.5 sacks in two seasons but expressed frustration last year at his lack of opportunities. He feels he can put up even better numbers but has spent a chunk of his time on special teams, with 544 snaps over the past two seasons. To highlight just how talented he is, he often lines up as a gunner on the punt team, a job typically reserved for cornerbacks and receivers since speed is the key element in that job.

Looking ahead to 2024, the Cowboys lost Fowler and Armstrong in free agency with both signing with the Washington Commanders. That should open the door for Williams to get more time but there's another snag for him — the Cowboys used a second-round pick on Marshawn Kneeland from Western Michigan.

Kneeland is an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and 267 pounds and while he doesn't run the 40-yard dash as quickly as Williams, he's another incredible athlete who explodes out of the snap. He might need time to develop since he wasn't at a Power Five school but the sky is the limit for Kneeland.

The Cowboys also have second-year player Viliami Fehoko and undrafted free agent Byron Vaughns, who has a lot of promise — plus an 84 and 1/4-inch wingspan. They could go into the season with Kneeland and Williams as the primary reserves but there's also a chance they'll listen to offers for the former Ole Miss standout.