It continues to be an active offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, who re-signed Dante Fowler Jr. on Friday. His return will strengthen their pass rush while helping to ease the loss of DeMarcus Lawrence.
He’s not the only player who will return to the defensive line either. The Cowboys are expecting Sam Williams to be back after he missed the entire 2023 campaign following a torn ACL suffered in training camp.
Williams hasn’t received much attention this offseason but that could change after a video was released showing him working out in preparation for the upcoming season.
A second-round pick in 2022 out of Ole Miss, Williams is a problem for opposing offensive linemen. At 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds, he has a frame associated with a powerful edge defender but also boasts 4.46 speed. That combination of speed and power resulted in him being used as a gunner on special teams, a role often reserved for defensive backs.
As a pass rusher, he recorded 8.5 sacks in two seasons while working in a rotation. With Fowler and Dorance Armstrong joining the Washington Commanders last year, Williams was expected to take on a larger role, but the ACL injury put that on hold.
Now, he will re-join Fowler — along with Micah Parsons — on a defensive line that suddenly looks a lot more impressive than they did throughout the 2024 season.
