OXNARD, Calif. – On the final day of July, so right at 13 days ago, the headline of my column read: "Uncovering The Importance Of The Big Q."
Big Q being four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys having traded for the New York Jets' former first-round draft choice, third pick overall, out of Alabama in 2022. The Cowboys thought enough of him to give up a 2026 second-round draft choice and a 2027 first-rounder to acquire him.
But to me, after only playing seven games with Dallas last year following the trade deadline deal, this guy's talent in a 6-3, 312-pound body, combined with his character and leadership qualities – as well as two years left on his second NFL contract signed with the Jets – the Cowboys, if they were serious about improving that defense of last season, needed to lock the doors on him at The Star.
Well, turns out the team agreed with me, signing Williams today to a three-year extension worth $105.9 million, locking him up for the next five season for a grand total of $153.1 million, with $101 million guaranteed that includes a $31 million signing bonus. Some computer figured out this is the largest third contract for a defensive tackle in NFL history.
And Big Q is only 28, not turning 29 until five days before Christmas. That's what I'm talkin' about being an early Christmas present.
When the Cowboys agreed to terms with Williams and his agent Nicole Lynn on Monday, COO Stephen Jones called him a "foundational piece." And to me, not only for the defense but also for the Cowboys trying to change the franchise fortune mired in consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the turn of the century.
And as Stephen also pointed out, no sense trading a first and a second for a guy with only two years left on his Jets contract. So this extension serves multiple purposes for the team and Williams, who, by the way, was on the final two years of the Jets contract he signed in 2023 but in the last year of guaranteed money. First for the Cowboys, securing a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle.
Next, this extension allows Dallas to restructure his remaining two base salaries to lower his cap charge, especially for 2026, by prorating the signing bonus over five years. That means for 2026, Williams' $20.75 million base reduces to $1.3 million plus the $6 million proration, saving the Cowboys now a wallet full of salary cap space for this season. Also puts the $31 million in Williams' bank account as soon as he signs the extension, so he doesn't have to wait around for the weekly payments in 2026 to reach the $20.75 million total.
That also means, since Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would jump on making a deal now if the opportunity arises at the expense of the future, the team has created available cap space to possibly afford a substantial move.
Big win for Big Q. Big win for the Cowboys.
- A Glover Fit: Was asked Tuesday morning which former Cowboys player most resembles Williams, in talent and character. First came to mind Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware. Not a bad choice, but on further review, and for a positional and character comp, ran into who I should have said out at the Cowboys-Rams scrimmage Tuesday in Woodland Hills: La'Roi Glover, the perfect fit. Glover might go down as the Cowboys' best unrestricted free agent signing ever, Glover receiving a five-year, $22.5 million package on March 12, 2002. My how times have changed. All Glover did during his four years with the Cowboys was produce four Pro Bowl seasons, helping to turn a woeful Dallas defense into two top 10 rankings: No. 1 in 2003 and No. 10 in 2005. Plus, adding character and leadership to coordinator Mike Zimmer's defense. Was great to hook up with one of my all-time favorite Cowboys players, who afterward spent several years with the Rams in player engagement and most recently has coached in the UFL.
- Scrimmage Impression No. 1: Better. Much better, when compared to previous scrimmages with the Rams. Mostly concentrated on the revamped Cowboys defense against the NFL's top-ranked total offense led by Matthew Stafford and the seventh-ranked rushing offense, spurred by sixth-ranked Kyren Williams. This trend we've seen from the Cowboys defense since the pads came on Aug. 3 of stopping the run continued in Woodland Hills on Tuesday, and let's give credit to these three added veterans: Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. And can't ignore fifth-year veteran free agent signee Otito Ogbonnia, along with linebackers Dee Winters and DeMarvion Overshown. As head coach Brian Schottneheimer said, "We are a different defense; the mentality and mindset of the defense is different." Sure enough is, and made an impression on Rams head coach Sean McVay, who said afterward, "Over the last 12 months, (the Cowboys) have really accumulated a lot of good defensive players as well. So it's been fun for us to go out there and work against those guys, see something new."
- Scrimmage Impression No. 2: You kidding me, Justin Barron? Might need to pay attention to last year's rookie practice squad linebacker out of Syracuse who was elevated to the 53-man roster for the final two games. In a seven-man inside linebacker room, he likely entered training camp at No. 5. Well, after Tuesday's scrimmage against the Rams, the rest of the field might ought to watch their backs. Playing middle linebacker on the second/third units, Barron finished the day with three interceptions. That's right, three. The guy basically was doing his job, dropping into mostly zone coverage, and it was as if the ball magnetically came his way. Guarantee you everyone now knows he wears No. 45 and his name. Since one person was pronouncing it BAR-rone, they better now know it's Bear-un.
- Impression No. 3: Now, the Rams held the recently acquired Myles Garrett out of the practice with some knee swelling, but most likely were preserving him. Had told someone not sure I'd recognize Garrett without a jersey on, since never had never seen him in person. Well, halfway through the scrimmage, this giant of a man in a sleeveless tank top came walking past me, and it was like, Oh my gosh, that's Myles Garrett. Had to be him. No one else in the league can be that imposing. And these tackles having to block him? Good gosh, no wonder he led the NFL in sacks last year, setting the NFL single-season record with 23. And 30 might not be out of the question. To think the Cowboys, as a team, only had 35. No wonder the Rams traded edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round draft pick and a 2029 third-round draft choice to the Browns for Garrett's services and signed him to a five-year, $208.2 million deal with $99 million guaranteed at age 30. Maybe he'll be tired by the time the Cowboys play the Rams for real on Dec. 20 (hah, same as Big Q's birthday).
- Camping Out: When the Cowboys ran their first team two-minute offense Tuesday against the Rams, Jaydon Blue was at running back, followed by some snaps for Phil Mafah … Gary continues to impress with his pass rush, and if quarterbacks were allowed to be hit in Tuesday's scrimmage, the eighth-year vet likely would have registered two sacks of Matthew Stafford … Have mentioned the Cowboys' improvement on run defense, and that even continued against the Rams when they were in a two-tight-end offense … For the most part, on punt return, it was KaVontae Turpin and Caleb Downs, who in his first two college seasons had 10 punt returns for 185 yards and two touchdowns, one 85 yards and the other 79, so just a thought … And since the Cowboys are just finding ways to get Downs on the field besides defensive snaps, the first-round draft choice also is working as the punt protector, along with P.J. Locke … See where the wayward Trevon Diggs, still an unrestricted free agent after the Cowboys released him following last season's Christmas Day game in Washington for not riding back to DFW with the team, recently worked out for the corner-needy Lions … By the way, Diggs' release is costing the Cowboys $5.88 million in dead money this year, money well spent to get him out of the locker room … And tongue in cheek, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, when asked about Q's extension after proving his worth in the scrimmage, "Quinnen Williams, we probably should keep the contract." Funny guy, this Schotty.
This might be a tad different last word this week from camp, but thought this was very interesting when first having an opportunity to interview Derrick Ansley, the new defensive assistant charged with pass game coordinating/defensive backs responsibilities. Ansley comes to the Cowboys from Green Bay, where he was there in the same capacity the past two years but with four previous seasons of NFL coaching experience. Also notable about Ansley is he was a graduate assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban, then returned to Alabama in 2016-17 as Saban's defensive backs coach.
Listen up.
"I'll tell you, I coached there two different times with Coach. I was a graduate assistant first in 2010-2011 when Kirby Smart was the defensive coordinator, so I got to learn from that man first of how to do it the right way. And I was blessed enough for Coach to hire me back later to be the main DB coach," Ansley said of his two more years at Alabama. "So I learned a ton.
"(Saban) is in every DB meeting. He's sitting in the front row, and he's coaching the corners. For the position coach in that arena, I wouldn't say it was a lot of pressure because I had already observed how it should be. But it is a job interview every day, getting a chance to show Coach you can hold your own and work side-by-side with him, and he lets the coach do his job. He didn't interject much, but at the same time, I learned a ton.
"If it weren't for Coach Saban, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now."
Oh, and get this: When it comes to Derrick Ansley, he started 40 consecutive games for Troy University, where he was a teammate of Cowboys' Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end DeMarcus Ware from 2001-04. The Cowboys drafted Ware with the 11th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Nice find for the Cowboys.
