Browns sign Sam Williams to active roster

Williams missed all of 2024 with ACL/MCL tears, but rebounded with a full 17-game season in 2025. He finished with 25 solo tackles and one sack while starting five games. Williams has not lived up to his second-round pedigree but will be a rotational pass rusher for the Cowboys on a low-cost, low-risk contract.

Archer observed Williams going “through a series of change of direction drills while attached to the cords and looked no worse for the wear.” The 26-year-old Cowboy missed the 2024 season after tearing two knee ligaments in late July. He should be in great shape for Week 1, having had more than a year to recover.

An MRI confirmed the worst for Williams, who left Sunday’s practice with a knee injury. The Cowboys drafted Williams 56th overall in 2022. Through his first two years in the league, Williams has totaled 8.5 sacks and appeared poised for a breakout season this year. It’s a brutal blow for Williams and the Cowboys, who will likely be looking to add a pass rusher to the roster in the coming days.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport observed the incident, noting Williams “planted his left foot [and] grabbed immediately for the back of his left knee” before going down. The Cowboys’ defensive line lost multiple high-impact contributors from the 2023 unit, including EDGEs Dante Fowler Jr. (18.3 percent) and Dorance Armstrong (12.9 percent) who followed former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders this offseason. Both players finished top four on the team in QB pressure rate. The Cowboys starting defensive lineup is chock-full of elite players but the pass-rush depth is evaporating.

A major contributor to a solid Dallas pass rush in 2022, Williams could face a misdemeanor charge for the weapon he had when arrested in Frisco City. Williams, who had ten tackles for a loss and nine quarterback hits last season, could face a suspension later this season depending on the outcome of his case.

He suffered a concussion and neck strain in a car crash on Friday. Williams will likely be questionable for next week assuming the neck strain isn’t serious. The rookie EDGE has been a productive part of Dallas’ rotation on the defensive line.

Williams was involved in an accident “not far from team’s practice facility.” He was briefly treated at the hospital before being released. The No. 56 overall pick of last spring’s draft, Williams has three sacks on 233 snaps this season. He’s a rotational piece.

Williams (6’3/261) is a true project who was a standout basketball player in high school before deciding to play football as a junior. He was still very raw and didn’t have the grades to attend a major program, enrolling in JUCO where he learned the game and re-molded his body to play edge. Williams arrived on campus in 2019 and was starting by the fifth game of the season, posting 37 tackles, 9.5 TFL, and 6.0 sacks. In fact, he led the Rebels in sacks each of his three years on campus with a total of 22.5. He was named second-team All-American last year, recording 61 pressures, 57 tackles, 16.0 TFLs, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles to go with a pristine 90.2 PFF pass-rush grade in his breakout campaign. Though still developing, Williams’ athleticism is nothing short of outstanding as he ran a 4.46 40, a 99th percentile time that helped boost his overall relative athletic score to a sterling 9.72. He has the speed and flexibility to dip under tackles and terrorize around the edge and can turn on a dime to cross their face when tackles overset to neutralize his speed. He gave first-rounder Charles Cross all he could handle in the 2021 Egg Bowl, generating nine pressures. Williams’ move set needs refinement, and he has off-field issues in his past, but he could turn into a potential gem if he continues to evolve.

Williams (6'4/250) posted the second fastest time amongst EDGE players, and it would’ve been the fastest in a normal year if Amare Barno didn’t run a ridiculous time. Williams’ 4.46 is fantastic, and while he hasn’t been getting a ton of coverage for the draft he’ll get some deserved buzz for this top time.

Williams (6'4/250) has been one of the best pass rushers in the nation, having logged a total of 11 quarterback sacks, 43 pressures and 25 hurries per Pro Football Focus. Williams is viewed as one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and also has 31 total tackles on the season to go with four forced fumbles. Per the Ole Miss Network, Williams’ hip injury is more of a pain management thing. We will wait to see if head coach Lane Kiffin has anything to share on Williams’ status later in the week.