OXNARD, Calif. – My idea before, like, 3 p.m. out here on Thursday was to write about my perception of what Quinnen Williams means to these Dallas Cowboys.
Yep, wanting to point out how much Q means to the Cowboys during what will be his first full season with the team, following just seven games played with them last year after coming over from the New York Jets at the trade deadline. And how in his short time he has become a guy the Cowboys can't do without for 2026. Not just the difference he makes on a defense that must dramatically improve, but to the entire team as well, intent on righting the wrongs from the past two losing seasons.
Again, just me. Not necessarily perceptions from owner Jerry Jones or head coach Brian Schottenheimer or defensive coordinator Christian Parker or even the Cowboys' top talent evaluator, Will McClay. Just me, figuring after all these years have become a pretty good judge of character, and will spare my rolodex of characters having dealt with during my time covering the Cowboys.
Was going to second Schottenheimer's notion of not having ever been around such a star player of his stature being so humble. Yep, since Williams had spent his first six seasons and eight games of a seventh with the Jets, sure didn't know much about the character of the 6-3, 312-pound defensive tackle entering his eighth season, with so many outside the building seemingly worrying about the Cowboys' ability to extend his contract long term. The average of his salary he signed in 2023 with New York was then the second highest for a defensive tackle in the NFL, but now pales in comparison to the ones nearly doubling in size being signed presently.
And for support was going – and going to – send you to his near 13-minute interview from the training camp podium on Wednesday that will still classify as a "must-listen." Impressive.
But then Dak Prescott takes the podium after Thursday's second camp practice in front of a backdrop of his and CeeDee Lamb's headshots, like one of those Hollywood billboards in size that even he agreed was shockingly huge, though one portraying his magnetic smile. Why, Dak answered questions for 20-some minutes. Answered questions about his GOTI mantra for this season, proclaiming the goal is to be the "Greatest Offense There Is," followed by saying, "Why can't we be?" More of a declaration than a question.
He answers questions about George Pickens, Lamb, Jake Ferguson, his offensive line, protesting he doesn't put a ceiling on himself. About retired buddy Will Grier being added to the coaching staff, his urgency to win a Super Bowl, rookie newcomer Caleb Downs, Jason Witten as a favor to an Oklahoma City outlet working on the University of Oklahoma new assistant coach.
Then around the 22-minute mark, second-to-last question, Dak is asked about Quinnen. About having such a good player but also such a great leader on this team, who has told Dak he's never been to the playoffs while so many keep talking about winning a Super Bowl. Told him how much he treasures being on a team with a quarterback like Dak.
He simply crushed anything I'd have to say. And he injected during the latter part of the question with "the best," and then began his answer as if to collect his thoughts with a "Shoosh, it's amazing." Listen up:
"Yeah, he tells me that often, and so it's cool to hear. I, you know, tell him I'm thankful he was building his house in Dallas, and he chose us. But it means everything. … Your best players have to practice the hardest, and they have to do things right the most. And Q is the biggest example of that.
"Not necessarily a big rah-rah guy or going to talk a lot, but when he does talk, it's heard. And he understands that. He understands how important his voice is. And so the words he does say, whether they're uplifting or whether they're serious or whether they're just straight to the point, we feel it. And we feel it on the offensive side as well.
"Just walking and dapping guys up before the practice or before the team period starts, him just kind of saying something like that again to me and just saying, 'Hey, we're going to win this year,' it's good to hear. But it also goes into where I was just saying the standard is the standard, and guys are proud to talk about what the standard is and to hold each other to it.
"It's refreshing as hell."
And after having endured some of the character gymnastics played by a few of the more prominent players no longer here over the past few years, let me second the "refreshing as hell" notion.
So big atta boy to Dak, giving more clarity to what we're talking about here, to what the Cowboys are getting in Big Q. Which on the surface adds size to the Cowboys' defensive front, no matter if they are playing a 3-4 base defense or in their nickel 4-2 front alignment. Look, he ain't coming off the field.
Then there is his talent. Start with being a four-time Pro Bowler, once in each of the past four seasons, and that includes his split season in 2025 when he played eight games with the Jets and seven more with the Cowboys, finishing with 20 tackles, 1½ sacks and 33 QB pressures, ranking fifth on the team. And that would factor out over 17 games to 80, which would be 33 more than last year's team leader Osa Odighizuwa's 47.
Plus, Williams' ability to defeat one-on-one blocks is part of the reason for Christian Parker's move to a 3-4 base, the five-man front lessening the potential of double-teams more readily occurring if in a four-man front. Then, when in a four-man front, can't possibly double Williams and Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary or Donovan Ezeiruaku or Sam Williams without utilizing a tight end or running back for at least a chip, if not being taken out of the passing game completely.
We sometimes forget Williams has just completed his first offseason with the Cowboys and, as of Friday, with just a walk-through practice and the last of three ramp-up practices scheduled for Saturday after the camp opening ceremony, his first padded camp practice with the Cowboys won't come until Monday.
But again, the Williams acquisition already seems to be a home run, just how he has handled the talk about a potential contract extension and the fact he has put into perspective all this talk about a Super Bowl when he hasn't even been to the playoffs in his career.
"I definitely have never been to the playoffs, and as a competitor, man, I want to win it all," Williams said. "I compete in this sport; I'm an ultimate competitor, and I want to win every single game if I can. I was bred to win from Coach (Nick) Saban and do the things that we can do there at Bama. And I wanted to bring that same mentality, especially to this defense because our offense has that mentality.
"Just trying to develop a new defensive culture, a defensive mindset. And we got the right guys on defense. Got Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, two unbelievable leaders. Caleb Downs, the unbelievable college leader coming into the NFL ready to learn. And our defensive staff is unbelievable too. So really just focus on, man, getting that side together and doing the things that we can do to carry our weight on this team because the offense for sure is going to carry theirs."
Insightful, right? Revealing, right? Quite welcoming, right?
Now you know.
