IRVING, Texas - Even as the NFL approaches championship weekend, it seems the Cowboys are always the center of attention.
And as usual, it starts with Terrell Owens, whose future with the club has suddenly become a hot topic, although the Cowboys have known all along that a tough decision needs to be made, whether or not to keep him around next season, or simply cut ties with the veteran receiver and absorb about a $9 million cap hit.
Although fellow wide receiver Roy Williams might be new in town, he has his opinions on the situation. Despite knowing he would be the No. 1 receiver if Owens departs next year, the desire to win is much deeper for Williams. With that, he said cutting T.O. this year makes no sense.
"I understand what the fuss was all about with him," Williams said of Owens. "Everyone knows the perceptions with him. But . . . I wouldn't get rid of him. Let's be honest, that's the real question you want to know. I wouldn't get rid of him . . . no way.
"The guy is a great player - one of the best in the game. You know what you're going to get from the guy. They can talk about distractions all they want to, or anonymous sources saying this and that. But to me, they can take that somewhere else. It's really not like that. I think T.O. is a scapegoat. He's the guy that people point the fingers at."
Not only that, but there is now a growing perception that Owens has a negative influence on some of the younger players, particularly his wide receiver teammates, including Williams, who admits being "a good friend" of Owens.
"People don't really understand T.O. They think he's taking us with him," Williams said. "That's not the case. People hear something and then they believe it. He's a great player. He's got a lot of talent. And he's a good teammate. But he's not taking anyone with him - not in a negative way."
Williams joined the Cowboys seven weeks into the season through a trade with the Lions. And he admits he wasn't a huge factor in the offense, catching 19 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown in 10 games.
Like Owens, Williams also wants the football more. He wasn't as vocal about it and said it's not his style to publicly ask for more offensive touches. But like all competitive players, he wants to be a bigger part of the offense.
And Williams knows that an offense that doesn't include Owens, would likely give him more of those opportunities.
"It goes both ways. He's a big piece of the puzzle, so if he's not out there, the offense is not the same," Williams said of Owens. "But also, if he's not there, then it will be a positive in my direction. I know that I'll have the pressure on me to step up and be the No. 1 guy. I'll have to replace a legend. That'll be some big shoes to fill. But I knew coming in here that would happen. I just didn't think it would be soon."
So if it sounds like Williams is on the fence in regards to keeping Owens, he makes it rather clear that he's not. He might understand both sides of the equation, but he's got his own preference.
"My preference? Yeah, my preference would be to have No. 81 line up next to No. 11," Williams said, referring to Owens and himself. "We can be a dynamic duo in this offense. We couldn't really showcase it this year, but I promise, it'd be different next year. Just look at T.O., Roy Williams, Jason Witten, Marion Barber - what are you going to do?"
With all of that talent, the tricky part is getting them all involved and keeping them happy.
That's where the offensive coordinator comes into the picture. Although Jason Garrett is one of the four finalists for the Rams head coaching vacancy, he remains the Cowboys' play-caller for the moment.
With that, Williams said he does have confidence in Garrett, and quarterback Tony Romo, to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers.
"It's not easy to do. It's not. You've got a lot of guys who want the football," Williams said. "It's really hard for the quarterback. You really can't worry about anyone else or hurting their feelings. You can't worry about getting the ball to your guy or getting the ball to someone if they're complaining. You have to go through the play and go to the guy who's open."
Although Williams said earlier in the season that he felt equipped enough with the playbook to be a factor, he realized by the end of the year that he was still a long ways from gaining the needed trust to be called upon.
"They're not really going to go to me because they don't think I'm going to know all the plays," Williams said. "But that's fine. That won't be the excuse next year. I'm going to make sure I'm on the same page with the quarterback. We'll work hard in the off-season and we'll get there."
That definitely implies Williams didn't believe he was on the same page with Romo last year.
"No way. Not at all," Williams said. "Not even close. But that's the way it was. We'll get that changed."
For Williams, although he wasn't with the club at the start of the season, he understands the frustration that surrounds the team, considering the lofty expectations that circulated all off-season.
However, he also knows he "escaped" from Detroit, where the Lions became the first 0-16 team in NFL history.
Although nine wins isn't acceptable here in Dallas, he's not ready to hit the panic button yet. However, don't mistake that for not wanting to win.
Because Williams said he'll take "getting W's" over catching passes all day.
"Honestly, all I want to do is win. If I catch one pass for three yards, and we lose the game, then I'm pissed off," Williams said. "If I catch a pass for three yards and we win, I'll be as happy as I can be. I've played in Detroit and we didn't win a lot and it's not fun. Winning is fun. At the end of the day, it's really all about the ring."
And with that attitude, Williams said getting rid of Owens just doesn't add up.
"We have a heck of a lot of talent. With me and (Owens) out there on the outside, we're tough to defend," he said. "And you've got Witten in the middle. That's tough to deal with. So without T.O., why would you want to get rid of a Hall-of-Famer, Pro Bowler and one of the best receivers in the league? Without him, it's a little bit tougher."
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