There is no question about it – the Dallas Cowboys need Terrance Williams to produce at a high level in 2018 and play better than he did one season ago.
In 2017, the Dallas Cowboys signed wide receiver Terrance Williams to a four-year contract worth $17 million, with a $5 million signing bonus, to take him to the 2020 season with the Cowboys, including a buyout after the upcoming season. If that is the case, the Cowboys will not only need a big season from Williams, but Williams himself will need a much better season than what he had one year ago because if a productive season doesn’t happen in 2018, Williams might not finish out his contract with the Cowboys.
Williams didn’t have the best offseason after being arrested in May on a misdemeanor public intoxication charge, and on the football field, looking at the numbers compiled by Williams the past two seasons … well, those aren’t so great, either.
In 2017, Williams played in all 16 games, making 14 starts where he totaled 53 receptions — a career-high — for 568 yards and no touchdowns. Williams was targeted 78 times, averaging 10.7 yards per reception, including a longest catch of 56 yards.
More from Dallas Cowboys
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Zack is back, good news for Dak and the Cowboys
- Dallas Cowboys: Are Dak’s interceptions cause for concern?
- Cowboys: Micah Parsons will be even more impactful in 2023
- 2023 NFL Season: It’s now or never for the Dallas Cowboys
Williams has never had a 1,000-yard season, making 66 starts in his career and playing in 80 games, as he’s been consistent in the fact he’s not missed an NFL game in five seasons. For his career, Williams has 3,359 yards receiving on 230 receptions (372 targets) and 20 touchdowns, with eight of those scores coming in 2014. The past three seasons, Williams’ yards per reception have dropped from 16.8 in 2014 to 16.2 in 2015, 13.5 in 2016 and last season at 10.7.
Coming off a season where Williams averaged 35.5 yards per game receiving, it is quite simple for the Cowboys franchise and even simple to the fan base: Williams needs to be more productive as the veteran wide receiver of the team. It is now time for Williams to take not just a step forward, but more like two or three steps forward, because if there ever was a year where the Cowboys need production from Williams, it is this upcoming season.
The Cowboys added wide receivers to the roster this offseason through free agency, trades and the NFL Draft, including Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Tavon Austin and Michael Gallup. Though some of them play in varying areas at the wide receiver spot, and even though Dez Bryant is no longer with the team, the Cowboys are in great need of Williams to be a more productive player.
Williams needs to take over as the leader of the Cowboys’ wide receivers. He has the experience on his side with this being his sixth season, plus Williams knows the system, which should give him a leg up on the competition within the wide receiver roster.
But here is an issue with Williams: Williams might miss the start of training camp, as he had offseason surgery on his right foot. That could go against him already before preseason games even take place because of the fact he’ll be a little behind the rest of the receivers.
Cowboys fans are hard on Williams for a good reason, as he does have high expectations, and as he’s been the No. 2 wide receiver his career behind Bryant, that role must change — and change now. The Cowboys need a leader at wide receiver, and this is the best chance Williams has had his entire career to prove whether he is able to become the top target for Dak Prescott this season.
It will be a long climb up that ladder. Although Williams will get his opportunity, he is going to have to prove how productive and important he is to the Cowboys during training camp to not only regain his starting role for another season, but to be productive in that role to help out the rest of the wide receivers this season. Ultimately, that will equal success for the Cowboys.