Cowboys Making Move to Sign Free-Agent Javonte Williams

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Javonte Williams #33 of the Dallas Cowboys

Maybe this will be the offseason that actually changes things for the Dallas Cowboys. Already, we’ve seen the team give over some power to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose influence was important in getting Dallas to add first-time coordinator Christian Parker to the defense. Now, maybe the Cowboys will break tradition on their usual approach to filling the running-back role and actually pay up to keep star Javonte Williams in place.

Early indications are that they will.

And it’s a good thing, too, because Williams had a breakout season with 1,201 yards on the ground, a personal best. He was ninth in yardage on the ground in 16 games, and was 10th in the league with 252 carries, giving the Cowboys the kind of workhorse back they have not had since Ezekiel Elliott’s peak days.

According to team vice president Stephen Jones, the Cowboys have had an early “visit” with Williams and his camp from the Klutch Sports agency.

“We’ve certainly visited with Javonte,” he said via the Star-Telegram. “We haven’t had a lot of those visits, most of those happen at the combine. Obviously, we still have some time before free agency starts. We’re always visiting the representatives about our players.”

Javonte Williams a Wise Priority for Dallas

It would be big because the Cowboys have, in recent years, taken a dim view on the running back position and the notion of investing in it. The team gave Tony Pollard a franchise tag deal worth more than $10 million back in 2023, but let him walk once that deal was up. The Cowboys, similarly, saw a solid 1,000-yard season from homegrown Rico Dowdle, but let Dowdle walk to Carolina as soon as he hit free agency.

It could be argued that the Cowboys were right to let both of those players go rather than commit to an overpay. That had been the trend around the league–churn through running backs with bargain free agents and draft picks.

However, in doing so, Dallas has not allowed the offense to form any continuity in its running game. Williams was, indeed, a bargain  last year at $3 million for a one-year deal. But he is due a raise, with Spotrac projecting his value at $7.3 million per year, or a three-year, $22 million contract.

The fact that the team is actively talking with Williams already could signal that they’ll take the plunge and sign him in free agency.

GettyStephen Jones

Cowboys Also Eyeing George Pickens Deal

Also on the Cowboys’ free-agent docket is star receiver George Pickens, and Jones indicated–as he and his father, owner Jerry Jones, have done multiple times this year–that Pickens would get early consideration, too.

But the focus will be on restocking the defense, which struggled badly this season, finishing last in the NFL in points allowed.

“Obviously, there’s guys that we want to keep from last year,” Jones said. “Whether it’s George Pickens or it’s Javonte [Williams], those are all guys that play into the free agency picture. We’ve got work to do on the defensive side of the ball. Whether that’s through free agency or the draft, there’s a lot of resources there that we can use to make our defense better.”

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney