You’re not going to believe it … the Dallas Cowboys actually signed a free agent!
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones opened his wallet (slightly) to add Javonte Williams on a one-year deal worth $3 million, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. Williams could make as much as $3.5 million with incentives, so this is a true “prove it” deal for the former Denver Broncos back.
Willaims has been one of the most notable disappointments in the last few years among running backs, in real and fantasy football. After scoring 204.9 PPR points during his rookie campaign, he suffered an injured knee (2022) and has seen his yards-per-carry average fall to under four. He also fell into a backfield committee last season, sharing the totes with teammates Jaleel McLaughlin and to a lesser degree, rookie runner Audric Estime.
The good news is that Williams is now multiple years removed from his knee injury, and he’s still a young player at the age of 24 (he’ll be 25 at the start of next season). Williams also has to “sing for his supper,” because he has failed to prove himself as a reliable runner at the NFL level. That should serve as motivation, and landing with the Cowboys is one of the best-case scenario for Williams in his attempt to prove himself as a solid starter.
Williams will replace Rico Dowdle, who is a free agent, and he figures to see the early- and goal-line work for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. I’m not sure adding Williams precludes the Cowboys from grabbing another running back in the NFL draft, however. The team has 10 picks in all, so adding another runner isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Unfortunately for Cowboys and fantasy fans, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty isn’t likely to be that back. The team lost a Hall-of-Famer lineman when Zack Martin retired, so Jones and the Pokes have bigger needs. As for Williams, he should be in the flex starter conversation in fantasy drafts. I do think he has a ceiling that could push him into the RB2 conversation, so Willaims’ stock is on the rise.
In Denver, the Broncos could hand the starting job over to Estime in his second season. There are still a few good veterans on the free-agent market, however, and coach Sean Payton could desire a rookie in the upcoming draft. But for now, Estime’s fantasy stock is moving higher.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Javonte Williams' Fantasy Football Value On The Rise With The Dallas Cowboys.
