Blogging The Boys
Let no one say that this trade deadline was uneventful. Daybreak brought news of the Cowboys’ trade for linebacker Logan Wilson, but the real headliner was made later on Tuesday. Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to Dallas in a deal that involved former first-round pick Mazi Smith.
People are already debating the value of the trade, and that’s fair, but the fact remains that Williams is one of one. He’s been one of the most impactful interior defenders in the league since turning pro, making plays as both a pass rusher and run stuffer.
Since entering the league, Williams has posted at least 25 run stops in all but his rookie year; he’s already at 25 stops this season, and leads the league in that respect. His average depth of tackle of 0.4 yard is third-best in the league.
Williams is having a down year as a pass rusher, though that’s partially due to scheme changes. That said, he’s topped 35 pressures in every year after his rookie season, and hit 50+ pressures each of the last three years. He also has 45 sacks in his career, and has been producing elite numbers despite being double-teamed at one of the highest rates for a defensive tackle.
This is about more than just how good Williams is, though. He’s easily a top three defensive tackle in the NFL right now, but Williams also makes others around him better, in part because of the double teams he can command. With Williams now in Dallas, the Cowboys defensive line is suddenly a strength.
The reality is that the pass rush was making strides already. Over the last four weeks, Dallas is generating pressure on 43.6% of dropbacks, which ranks seventh in the league over that span, just barely behind the Eagles. That’s a huge jump considering they ranked 19th in pressure rate through the first five weeks of the season.
What happened to make things click? Some of it was Jadeveon Clowney, whose 16.9% pass rush win rate leads the team and ranks 18th in the league. James Houston and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku also settled into their new roles, but the defense also benefitted from Matt Eberflus incorporating more stunts and simulated pressures into the pass rush scheme.
Ironically, the team leaders in pressures right now are Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, both of whom have an identical 12.8% pass rush win rate. For those curious, that puts Clark and Odighizuwa at 18th in pass rush win rate for interior defenders, and both are in the top 10 in pressures.
That begs the question of who plays when now that Williams is here. And while you’d think the Cowboys just created an issue for themselves in terms of playing time, it’s actually why this is such an impactful trade.
For starters, Williams is a true two-way defender. He’s just as disruptive against the run as he is to the quarterback, meaning he can play every down. The Cowboys will likely...
