SPORTSDAY

Since the season ended, I've received a ton of e-mails about Roy Williams' future with the Cowboys.

Some of you have come up with wild trades, which I'll ignore. Why would a team trade want to trade for him? They see the same tape you do. They see his shortcomings and wouldn't want to take on his contract, so forget about a trade, especially to Miami for the No. 1 pick. Yes, somebody asked me that.

But what happens if the Cowboys release Williams? I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm not saying the Cowboys have even discussed the possibility. I'm just putting out a huge "IF," as it relates to the salary cap.

Talked to a few people at the Senior Bowl about strong safety Roy Williams.
Many have no answers as to why his play has declined the last few years.

But several things are certain according to two defensive coaches and one tight ends coach: Williams isn't reading plays well, looks out of shape and hasn't improved his tackling skills. He horse-collars running backs and wide receivers because he takes bad angles.

Williams was never a good cover guy, but as the tight end coach said, "he's a box guy." Meaning, play near the linebackers and stop the run.
Can Williams become a linebacker? Nope. He's too small.
Will the Cowboys cut him? Nope. That $11.1 million dollar signing bonus messes that up in someways.

Can't find a link to the story, but in the hard-copy pages of this week's Sporting News, Cowboys SS Roy Williams is declared one of the NFL's dirtiest players.

The magazine polled 107 players on the subject. Roy was far from winning -- a distant third to runaway winner Rodney Harrison -- but did garner a quote in the story.

"Everybody knows the horse-collar tackle is a penalty," one NFC offensive lineman told TSN. "But he continues to do it."

Here's the list:

1. Patriots SS Rodney Harrison: 31 votes
2. Rams G Richie Incognito: 8
3. Cowboys SS Roy Williams: 6.5
4. Eagles RT Jon Runyan: 5
t-5. Dolphins OLB Joey Porter: 4
t-5. Any Broncos offensive lineman: 4
t-7. Broncos C Tom Nalen: 3
t-7. Lions DE Dewayne White: 3
t-7. Raiders DT Warren Sapp: 3
10. Steelers WR Hines Ward: 2.5
t-11. Chargers C Nick Hardwick: 2
t-11. Titans DT Albert Haynesworth: 2
t-11. Titans C Kevin Mawae: 2
t-11. Any offensive lineman: 2

I suppose you could say Williams is fourth, if you give Nalen 7 votes, counting the Bronco lineman vote. So maybe that's some sort of consolation.

Roy Williams was asked a question concerning ex-Cowboys S Darren Woodson, now an ESPN analyst, and a wound was opened.

"I haven’t even talked to Woody, he doesn’t call me anymore," Williams said. "Woody, you’re looking at these cameras, what’s going to be showing on your TV – call me, man, I miss you."

In a way, though, Woodson's spirit is with Williams every day. Williams occupies Woodson's old locker.

And scrawled on the back of the cube is Woodson's markings from three Super Bowl titles. It's a not-so-subtle nudge at Roy.

"I look at it all the time," Williams said. "It feels good. I want to get my own. That’s motivation in itself."

Roy Williams mentioned that he actually wanted to change to No. 38 a couple years ago. He held off as a favor to his favorite billionaire.

"I didn't want Jerry to lose any money, as far as people recalling those jerseys back," Williams said, "It was kind of helping out Jerry, so he wouldn't lose money in the whole deal."

The number switch makes the old No. 31s collectors items, so the Cowboys should start selling them at full price again.

Roy Williams was wearing No. 38 in Wednesday's practice and he said today he would like to change officially for next season from No. 31.

Good news for the Cowboys' Pro Shop.

Williams wore No. 38 at Oklahoma and wanted to wear it with the Cowboys but Duane Hawthorne was going to charge him $20,000 to make the move his rookie year.

"Eight in the bible means a new beginning so I feel that after this season I feel it's time to switch over," Williams said.

Williams had been contemplating the switch for the last couple of years but stuck with No. 31.

Cowboys S Roy Williams has been selected to play in his fifth Pro Bowl.

The late Sean Taylor was voted in, and his spot will be filled by the Dallas veteran. That also moves Ken Hamlin into the starting lineup, alongside Vikings S Darren Sharper.

The Cowboys now have a club record 12 players going to Hawaii, breaking a tie at 11 with the 1993 and '94 teams.

The NFL refused to overturn Roy Williams' one-game suspension. He'll miss Saturday's game at Carolina.

AP

T.O., who had his leg snapped by a Roy Williams horse-collar tackle a few years ago, echoed Patrick Crayton's thoughts about the NFL suspending No. 31 for Saturday's game.

"When you have a rule put in place for you, then obviously you would think to police yourself as far as that type of tackle," T.O. said.

T.O. and Williams have become friends in the last couple years, hanging out occasionally and taking a trip to the NBA Finals together. T.O. said they have never discussed the play in Philly that resulted in him suffering a fractured ankle and torn ligaments -- and helped lead to the Roy Williams Rule.

"I don't hold any grudges or whatnot," T.O. said. "It happened, and I was able to come back from it. I know one guy, Tyrone Calico, he never really came back from it."

However, it is still a painful memory for T.O. He said seeing Williams horse-collar Donovan McNabb -- his third violation of the rule this season -- took his breath away and made him flash back to the excruciating pain he suffered that December 2004 day.

Whether it's something as significant as a suspension, or as small as an illegal contact penalty, you can usually break players into two camps on rules like the horse-collar ones that will keep Roy Williams out of Charlotte on Saturday night:

1. Offense
2. Defense

The idea that defensive players look at some rule changes as a bed of nails on the road to doing their jobs is nothing new. Simply, it's long been perceived that the NFL tweaks and adjusts its regulations to promote scoring, in turn making things more difficult on the guys trying keep points from going up.

“You look at all the passing rules, it’s to help create more explosive plays for the offense, it gets you more crowds, gets you more fans enjoying the game," linebacker Akin Ayodele said. "(The horse-collar rule) puts you in a predicament. Should I get this runner down? Or should I stop and let him run by me and then look bad? Because you’re gonna look bad on film. The reporters are going to say, ‘Well, Roy Williams had a chance to bring him down, but he just stopped.’”

How controversial is Roy Williams' suspension? You can't even get a consensus opinion on it inside the Cowboys' locker room.

Keith Davis, who will replace Williams at strong safety, said he understood Sheriff Goodell's thinking in this case.

"This is the third time it happened," Davis said, referring to the number of Roy Williams Rule violations for Williams this season, "so this penalty is more than deserving, I guess."

WR Patrick Crayton said he's glad the league banned horse-collar tackles, a dangerous technique. And he said Williams shouldn't be surprised by the suspension, which the NFL warned him could be coming after he horse-collared Marshawn Lynch.

"He's been given so many warnings, plus the rule was put in place for him," Crayton said. "I don't know, that'd be a red light flashing in my head."

Follow the jump for guys saying Williams got a raw deal.

It could be 12 Pro Bowlers for the Cowboys. SS Roy Williams is in line make his fifth consecutive appearance, replacing deceased Redskins safety Sean Taylor.

Williams would become the 20th player to go to five Pro Bowls as a Cowboy. The previous members of that club: DT Bob Lilly (11), OL Larry Allen (10), DB Mel Renfro (10), DT Randy White (9), RB Emmitt Smith (8), QB Troy Aikman (6), S Cliff Harris (6), LB Chuck Howley (6), OG Nate Newton (6), OG John Niland (6), RB Don Perkins (6), QB Roger Staubach (6), OT Rayfield Wright (6), DE George Andrie (5), DB Cornell Green (5), WR Michael Irvin (5), LB Lee Roy Jordan (5), TE Jay Novacek (5) and S Darren Woodson (5).

The NFL will give Roy Williams more time to appeal his one-game suspension. Williams' people asked the league for more time to build a case so he can play on Saturday at Carolina.

Williams was suspended for one game by the NFL on Monday night for committing his third illegal horse-collar tackle of the season.

Williams can practice until his appeal is heard and he was seen at the media viewing of practice today.

Superstar columnist Tim Cowlishaw wonders if a one-game suspension will teach Roy Williams not to use the horse-collar tackling technique.

The rule was unofficially named after him. He has repeatedly violated it. He was warned that another violation could result in a suspension. His tackle of Donovan McNabb was a blatant violation.

Tough to find fault with the NFL on this one, folks.

The NFL announced that SS Roy Williams has been suspended for one game without pay, punishment for his third horse-collar tackle of the season. From the NFL release:

Grabbing the inside collar of the back of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling down the runner is a 15-yard personal foul penalty. Williams was penalized for making such a tackle against Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in Sunday’s game in Dallas.

It was the fourth violation of this rule by Williams in the past two seasons. Williams was fined $12,500 for an illegal “horse collar” tackle against the Chicago Bears on September 23 and $15,000 for the same violation against the Buffalo Bills on October 8. He received a $10,000 fine for a “horse collar” tackle against the New York Giants on October 23, 2006.

Williams was warned a suspension was possible after his last violation of the "Roy Williams Rule," so this shouldn't be considered a surprise.