Javonte Williams was unwanted in Denver, but Cowboys are excited about him
Apr 1, 2025, 10:28 AM
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Javonte Williams was not in the Denver Broncos’ plans for 2025.
But Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys see him as part of their running solution — and see his recent struggles with the Broncos as part of the reason why they feel he can help them as a component of a running-back corps that includes fellow free-agent pickup Miles Sanders.
“The hunger that he has coming back off the injury. Some of the best players I’ve ever been around our guys that have chips on their shoulders and Javonte’s one of those guys,” Schottenheimer said of Williams on Tuesday morning at the NFC Coaches Breakfast during the NFL Annual Meeting.
“He’s hungry. And we’re always looking for guys that have that.”
Hunger, desire and diligence were never in short supply for Williams, who earned the Broncos’ Ed Block Courage Award in 2023 for his comeback from a horrific knee injury that ended his 2022 season after just five games.
But Williams’ production was never the same after the injury, which saw him tear the lateral collateral ligament and the posterolateral corner in his knee, complicating his recovery and rehabilitation.
Despite the Broncos offensive ranking No. 1 in the NFL in run-block win rate per ESPN Analytics last season, Williams averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. He averaged 4.4 yards per attempt before the injury but just 3.6 yards after it.
When asked about whether he saw a difference on tape between Williams’ pre-injury and post-injury form, Schottenheimer noted it was “hard to answer” given that he didn’t see Williams on a daily basis over the last four years.
“I didn’t really see anything that said that, ‘Oh, the injury was an issue,'” Schotteinheimer said. “Usually it does take guys a little bit of time coming off the ACL, but I can’t compare that.
“I just know the film that we saw that he played really good snaps, some really good suddenness in and out of holes and accelerating into open areas. So again, I think we really feel good about (him).”
The first-year head coach did note that he liked Williams when he went through the draft process four years ago as a prospect from North Carolina. And as is often seen in the free-agent cycle, teams, coaches and personnel executives sometimes lean on those initial evaluations when reviewing a player who hits the market.
“I love his short-area quickness. I love the power he runs with,” Schottenheimer said.
The Cowboys got their man in Williams. The Broncos, meanwhile, await their man in the backfield in the NFL Draft, which begins in 22 days,
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