Dallas Cowboys: Robert Woods A Free Agent Fit At Wide Receiver?
With starting wide receiver Terrance Williams looking to cash in during free agency, the Dallas Cowboys could look to Robert Woods as a replacement
Wide receiver Terrance Williams seems like he is going to be getting paid this offseason. He has a recognizable name, mostly for some impressive catches on third downs, as well as a solid postseason in 2014. While Williams flashes a lot of potential, he hasn’t been as impactful as the Dallas Cowboys would like. That means there’s pretty much no way they get into a bidding war with anyone over his services.
Some may worry what Dallas will do at the second receiving spot, but ESPN NFL reporter Ed Werder was brutally honest in his recent assessment of T-Will.
While on KESN-FM 103.3’s “J-Dub City” Werder said not only will the Cowboys pass on bringing him back, but that Williams hasn’t done much to deserve a big contract:
I mean, what has he done? He gets single covered almost all the time and he hasn’t been that highly productive of a player, in my opinion. Like if you look at the Atlanta Falcons he’s not the equivalent of a Mohamed Sanu in my mind. I think you can do as well or better and save yourself a considerable amount of money.
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As Werder said, there will be options out there that will come much cheaper. One such player could be Robert Woods, who was drafted one round earlier than Williams in the same year. The former USC Trojan spent his first four seasons with the Buffalo Bills before hitting free agency this offseason.
Though he hasn’t gotten as much national attention as Williams, Woods has been productive. He caught 203 passes for 2,451 yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons. For comparison, Williams had 177 receptions for 2,791 yards and 20 touchdowns. Williams knack for the longer receptions and his bigger touchdown numbers explain why his name is more prevalent than Woods.
However, Woods has had E.J. Manuel, Kyle Orton and Tyrod Taylor throwing him the ball, whereas Williams had mostly Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. Woods also didn’t have Dez Bryant as his fellow wide receiver or tight end Jason Witten freeing up space in the defense for him to work.
How Woods fits in Dallas is obviously as a replacement for Williams, but also as a player that keeps them from relying too heavily on Brice Butler should he return. While Butler has a ton of potential, he has also provided his fair share of mental gaffes that cost the Cowboys big time. The team, it appears, would love him to be back, but he’s still hard to trust until he proves he can be counted on down-after-down. Until he proves that, a player like Woods makes all the sense in the world