Receiving situation critical for Cowboys Receiving situation critical for CowboysAUSTIN - The Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver situation, once one of the
best in the NFL, has been reduced to Kevin Williams, unproven Deion Sanders
and a host of free agents and rookies.
But one player who hopes to break out of the latter category is rookie Stepfret
Williams, the Cowboys' third-round draft pick this year out of Northeast
Louisiana.
Williams, who missed Thursday morning's first practice while his contract
was being ironed out, has since been impressive in two practices, making
a few diving catches. He impressed again Friday morning, making several
tough catches over the middle.
The 6-0, 170-pound Williams brings some impressive credentials with him
from Northeast Louisiana where he holds school career records for yards
(3,177), touchdowns (33) and 100-yard receiving games (16). But Williams
knows he's back to being a small fish in a big pond with the Cowboys.
"I just need reps to get better each day and get adjusted to the pro
system," he said. "Everything moves so much faster out here. I
just have to learn the system and work hard and see what happens."
Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman, never one to lavish praise on rookies, has
already liked what he has seen of Williams after watching him in mini-camps
and two days of training camp.
"I'm very high on Stepfret," Aikman said. "I think he'll
be an outstanding football player once he learns our system. He has tremendous
quickness out of his breaks, and you don't always see that in rookies."
Big words for a rookie.
"That's great coming from the best quarterback in the NFL," Williams
said of Aikman's comments. "That gives me a lot of confidence. But
that's how everybody's been down here. When I make a play out here everybody
pats me on the butt and that makes you feel good."
Williams, with his slight build, will probably play the inside, or slot,
receiver position with the Cowboys. It's a position he's had just a small
bit of experience playing.
"In college I played some inside receiver, but I was mostly an outside
guy," he said. "I'm more accustomed to the outside position, but
I have experience inside, and I think I can come in and help in that area."
And if Michael Irvin is out any length of time, Kevin Williams will move
outside, creating a hole to be filled at the slot position. And Dallas head
coach Barry Switzer thinks he has his man if that spot does indeed come
open.
"Troy (Aikman) and I were talking about it (Thursday)," Switzer
said, "and Troy said he had not had a quick inside receiver with the
ability to separate (from defensive backs) since Kelvin Martin left."
And with Irvin out until possibly mid-season, Williams is hoping he can
prove his head coach and quarterback right.
"Everybody's saying that I have a great opportunity with Michael out,
and I do," Williams said. "His absence is benefitting me in that
it's giving me a chance to learn the pro system. I'm just trying to keep
a level head and build off of everything I've been doing.
"Hopefully one day I'll make a name for myself in this league,"
he said, "and being with the Dallas Cowboys I think I have a chance
to do that."