“He’s at the top of our list,” Jones said. 

It appears the feeling is mutual. 

Williams said Wednesday that he would love to stay in Dallas long term. The Cowboys acquired Williams from the New York Jets at the trade deadline last year for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and former first-round pick Mazi Smith. After six and a half seasons in New York, it didn’t take long for Williams to realize he wanted to plant roots in Dallas. His belief in what the Cowboys could be grew when he heard how much belief they had in him. They made it clear they wanted Williams to be at the core of their winning aspirations on defense. 

“I definitely want to be here for the long haul,” Williams said. “I definitely would love being here for the long haul, but I want to win, and that’s really the only thing I’m focused on is winning and getting this defense into the groove where we can win football games for this team.”

Williams’ desire to win is rooted in the fact that he hasn’t much during his NFL career. The three-time Pro Bowler has had plenty of individual success. He had success in college, too, where he won a national championship. Team success in the NFL and with the Jets, however, eluded him. He’s never made the playoffs in his career. His team record in his career with the Jets and briefly with the Cowboys last season: 37-79. 

“It’s pretty cool to see the guys get paid,” said Williams, who later said he believed he was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. 

Jones said that they talked with Williams’ agent this offseason about how their negotiations could look. Williams said he didn’t know about that and he leaves those discussions to his representation. 

Williams made it clear Wednesday that he wants to win. He also made it clear that he believes the Cowboys — with an influx of new defensive starters and an offense he believes can be one of the best — can make it happen.

“For me right now, I’m just trying to stay focused on training camp and enjoying Oxnard,” Williams said, “and enjoying having one of the best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best offenses in the league, and enjoying trying to build this defense and trying to get it in the right direction.”