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By RANDY GALLOWAY
Star-Telegram staff writer

Assume this:

Brian Stewart, the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, had finally heard enough and read enough this spring to summon one of his most prominent players to a Valley Ranch showdown meeting.

Is there any doubt what the obvious first question for Roy Williams had to be?

How about a very blunt, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

OK, that meeting did happen last week. Beyond that, I don't know what was actually said. In published comments, Roy termed it a positive session, while my conversation with Stewart on Friday failed to uncover any additional inside info.

"We need to keep that within the walls," said Stewart, "but as far as the meeting being productive and informative for both sides, I was very pleased."

Even so, that doesn't erase the whispers about Roy.

How close are the Cowboys to flat dumping a highly paid safety who has five straight Pro Bowls on his current résumé?

But five straight Pro Bowls don't balance out with Williams being benched last season in certain coverage situations, replaced by guys who aren't even on the team at the moment.
And five straight Februarys in Hawaii don't fit with Williams being the club's most maligned player by media and fans.

Even in the NFL family, Roy's reputation has slipped to the point where he's among those listed as the NFL's most overrated.

Could he be headed out of town on a one-way ticket?

There are those at Valley Ranch who say Williams has no job-security issues for now, but training camp and the exhibition season could possibly change that in a hurry, depending on Roy's work ethic and attitude. Then again, Roy is a Jerry favorite, meaning it's also a bit of a stretch to think his job could really be on the line once the Cowboys invade California in late July.

But not even Mr. Jones can be pleased with Williams' rapidly deteriorating game, plus with the weirdness that has engulfed him this spring.

Within the last couple of weeks, Roy has told Michael Irvin (the new Father Flanagan for troubled NFL players) on local ESPN radio that at times he's hoping the ball isn't thrown his way because he's not comfortable with certain matchups, and that admission was followed by teammate Greg Ellis attempting to come to Williams' defense.

Greg probably did his friend no favors when he said Roy had told him before last season started that he was a misfit in the new defensive schemes of head coach Wade Phillips.
It was a strange comment, since Williams had previously been enthusiastic over the Phillips hire, feeling he had been hampered by Big Bill's defensive philosophy.

Meanwhile, Brian Stewart was listening and reading. Give him credit for immediately deciding last week it was time to sit down behind closed doors with Williams. As defensive coordinator, Stewart's butt is on the line, so how do you think it made him feel when a starting safety says he doesn't want the ball thrown his way, and/or is blaming the system?

Roy downplayed the Ellis comments, but Greg is an honest guy who no doubt was attempting to defend Roy from the ample media and fan criticism. Whatever, the Cowboys do have a problem here with a player once considered on the fast track to stardom.

Any theories to explain Williams' free fall from premier safety start with two areas:
(1) Roy was at his best when playing his first two seasons next to fellow safety Darren Woodson. Once Woody retired after the '03 season, Williams hasn't been the same.

(2) When Bill Parcells changed to the 3-4 defense three years ago, a scheme continued by the hire of Phillips, the adjustment for Williams was difficult. But most football people say the secondary isn't impacted when a team goes to the 3-4 from a 4-3. Phillips, with 30 years in the league, preached that when he arrived.

The darker side of the story involves harsh comments from past and present members of the Cowboys' defensive staff.

A year ago, I heard this from a prominent coach no longer here:

"Roy has gone Hollywood. He's most concerned with making SportsCenter highlights by blowing up a guy than he is working hard at improving his coverage and his game."

Last season, however, even the massive hits were few. But different coaching voices follow the same "Hollywood" theme, with stuff like, "Roy likes being a celebrity more than a football player," or "he's exchanged passion for the glory."

When a coach was asked if Roy was a much better fit in a 4-3 system, he answered, "When your preparation and dedication are lacking, you can't blame that on a scheme."

Bottom line:

Williams certainly has coverage issues, but that weakness in his game is compounded by a lack of commitment to improve. There is no excuse for a failure to work hard, which is the indictment handed down by coaching staff members.

Two years ago, the Cowboys signed Roy to the richest contract ever for a safety at that time. More than $11 million was up-front money. But the contract was structured in a way that the current salary-cap hit would be rather minimal if he were suddenly released.

No, I'm not suggesting that will happen, even though it is a legitimate remedy. But it's certainly something to ponder once training camp opens.


Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM.
rgalloway@star-telegram.com
Randy Galloway, 817-390-7760

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