- Messages
- 5,432
- Reaction score
- 0
A closer look at the trade for Roy Williams: Did the Cowboys actually 'win' the deal?
08:51 PM CST on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
Roy Williams hasn't exactly had the best career as a Cowboy when you consider what Jerry Jones and the franchise gave up to acquire him. In 2008, the Cowboys traded for Williams, giving up a first, third and sixth round pick to acquire the former Texas Longhorn wideout.
But has he been as bad as people think? And has the Lions' end of the trade actually been worse? Let's take a closer look.
Cowboys' side of the trade:
With one full season and two half seasons as a Cowboy under his belt, Williams hasn't put up the Pro Bowl-caliber numbers many fans would expect from a wideout taken in the top 10 of a draft (the Lions took Williams 7th overall in 2004).
His numbers so far as a Cowboy are as follows: 82 catches, 1,160 yards, 13 receiving touchdowns.
Not amazing, but not terrible, either. Since that's about the equivalent of 2 seasons worth of games, that averages out to about 40 catches, 600 yards and 6-7 touchdowns a year. That's solid for a supporting wideout. But when Jerry Jones gave up half of the 2009 draft to bring in Williams, he was probably hoping to get more than a second-tier wide receiver.
Maybe most disheartening could be how Williams is trending. After a strong start to the 2010 season with Tony Romo under center, Williams has faded off since Jon Kitna took over.
Williams' statline in games that only Tony Romo played: 21 catches, 306 yards, 5 touchdowns in 5 games.
Williams' statline in games that Jon Kitna started or received significant time in: 4 catches, 60 yards receiving, 0 touchdowns in 4 games.
After the promising start, Williams is now 95th in the NFL in catches, 68th in yards and 55th in per-catch average.
As for the Lions' side of the deal:
The three players the Lions selected with the picks received in the Williams trade are as follows:
TE Brandon Pettigrew (1st round, 20th overall)
WR Derrick Williams (3rd round, 82nd overall)
RB Aaron Brown (6th round, 192nd overall)
None of the three have exceeded expectations so far, and only one player (Pettigrew) seems to have a decent shot at meeting his.
Pettigrew has made the biggest impact of the three draftees, but he's had his fair share of struggles, too. His rookie season was cut short by a knee injury in November. He has also battled some occasional drops along with the pressure of being a tight end drafted in the first round -- a rarity that brings along some additional pressure, especially when you consider the Lions had a lot of other holes to fill in 2009 that they could have used the 20th overall pick for. Still, Pettigrew is having a nice sophomore season for the Lions. Through 9 games, he has 42 catches for 412 yards and 3 scores. He's among the top 10 in the league for tight ends in all 3 categories.
Williams, a WR out of Penn State, was considered a reach by many when he was drafted since the Lions targetted him largely as a return man. As a wideout, Williams has just 8 catches in 15 career games with the Lions. And with a career long of just 34 yards on kick returns, Williams has since been passed by return specialist Stefan Logan as the team's return man. In 2010, Williams has appeared in just 4 games, bringing in two catches and 0 kick or punt return attempts all season. It's definitely not a stretch to consider him a bust.
Brown is a name that may look familiar some Dallas/Fort-Worth residents. He starred at TCU as a RB and was brought in by the Lions as a change-of-pace back. Brown appeared in all but one game for the Lions in 2009, but has since fallen out of good graces with the coaching staff. The Lions spent a first-round pick on RB Jahvid Best in 2010, and with Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris also on the team's roster, Brown has little chance to make an impact as a Lion anytime soon. It's hard to call a 6th round pick a bust, but with just 144 career rushing yards in his 1.5-year career, he certainly hasn't turned any heads in Motown.
• • •
08:51 PM CST on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
Roy Williams hasn't exactly had the best career as a Cowboy when you consider what Jerry Jones and the franchise gave up to acquire him. In 2008, the Cowboys traded for Williams, giving up a first, third and sixth round pick to acquire the former Texas Longhorn wideout.
But has he been as bad as people think? And has the Lions' end of the trade actually been worse? Let's take a closer look.
Cowboys' side of the trade:
With one full season and two half seasons as a Cowboy under his belt, Williams hasn't put up the Pro Bowl-caliber numbers many fans would expect from a wideout taken in the top 10 of a draft (the Lions took Williams 7th overall in 2004).
His numbers so far as a Cowboy are as follows: 82 catches, 1,160 yards, 13 receiving touchdowns.
Not amazing, but not terrible, either. Since that's about the equivalent of 2 seasons worth of games, that averages out to about 40 catches, 600 yards and 6-7 touchdowns a year. That's solid for a supporting wideout. But when Jerry Jones gave up half of the 2009 draft to bring in Williams, he was probably hoping to get more than a second-tier wide receiver.
Maybe most disheartening could be how Williams is trending. After a strong start to the 2010 season with Tony Romo under center, Williams has faded off since Jon Kitna took over.
Williams' statline in games that only Tony Romo played: 21 catches, 306 yards, 5 touchdowns in 5 games.
Williams' statline in games that Jon Kitna started or received significant time in: 4 catches, 60 yards receiving, 0 touchdowns in 4 games.
After the promising start, Williams is now 95th in the NFL in catches, 68th in yards and 55th in per-catch average.
As for the Lions' side of the deal:
The three players the Lions selected with the picks received in the Williams trade are as follows:
TE Brandon Pettigrew (1st round, 20th overall)
WR Derrick Williams (3rd round, 82nd overall)
RB Aaron Brown (6th round, 192nd overall)
None of the three have exceeded expectations so far, and only one player (Pettigrew) seems to have a decent shot at meeting his.
Pettigrew has made the biggest impact of the three draftees, but he's had his fair share of struggles, too. His rookie season was cut short by a knee injury in November. He has also battled some occasional drops along with the pressure of being a tight end drafted in the first round -- a rarity that brings along some additional pressure, especially when you consider the Lions had a lot of other holes to fill in 2009 that they could have used the 20th overall pick for. Still, Pettigrew is having a nice sophomore season for the Lions. Through 9 games, he has 42 catches for 412 yards and 3 scores. He's among the top 10 in the league for tight ends in all 3 categories.
Williams, a WR out of Penn State, was considered a reach by many when he was drafted since the Lions targetted him largely as a return man. As a wideout, Williams has just 8 catches in 15 career games with the Lions. And with a career long of just 34 yards on kick returns, Williams has since been passed by return specialist Stefan Logan as the team's return man. In 2010, Williams has appeared in just 4 games, bringing in two catches and 0 kick or punt return attempts all season. It's definitely not a stretch to consider him a bust.
Brown is a name that may look familiar some Dallas/Fort-Worth residents. He starred at TCU as a RB and was brought in by the Lions as a change-of-pace back. Brown appeared in all but one game for the Lions in 2009, but has since fallen out of good graces with the coaching staff. The Lions spent a first-round pick on RB Jahvid Best in 2010, and with Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris also on the team's roster, Brown has little chance to make an impact as a Lion anytime soon. It's hard to call a 6th round pick a bust, but with just 144 career rushing yards in his 1.5-year career, he certainly hasn't turned any heads in Motown.
• • •
