OXNARD, Calif. — When thinking of the Dallas Cowboys roster, the first names that come to mind are likely Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. However, the team’s overall top player is Quinnen Williams.

The standout defensive tackle made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl last season. His value was made quite clear when the Cowboys had to surrender first- and second-round picks to acquire him in November. However, Williams has never made the playoffs in his seven-year career, most of it with the New York Jets. When he joined Dallas, Williams was part of arguably the NFL’s worst defensive unit.

Despite the lack of team success on Williams’ resume, the Cowboys are well aware of his importance.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday that Williams is “at the top of the list” of players they want to sign long-term. Williams has two years remaining on the four-year, $96 million contract extension he signed before the 2023 season. His average annual salary ranks 10th among all interior defensive linemen.

He was bumped down a spot Tuesday after Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter signed a record-breaking four-year, $152 million extension with $106 million guaranteed.

However, with a potential new deal for Williams in the near future, he may not stay at No. 10 on the contract list.

“We’re very open to that,” Jones said. “We want Quinnen here for the long haul. Obviously we’ve got a lot of resources tied up in him, and he knows what we think about him. We’ve had some discussions with the agent about how to go about the process, but certainly he’s one of the best in the business, and we know kind of what that market is.”

Williams said Wednesday that Dallas is “for sure” where he wants to be for the long term.

“Especially being here with these guys,” he added. “You’ve got a phenomenal group, a phenomenal staff; organization-wise, it’s unbelievable. And then having guys that you can call and lean on, like DeMarcus Ware is one of my guys, it’s unbelievable.”

“I’m not really focused on no contract. I definitely would enjoy and love being here for the long haul, but I want to win, and that’s kind of the only thing I’m really focused on is winning and getting this defense into the groove where we can win football games.”

Williams won often in college. After redshirting his freshman year, he played two seasons at Alabama. The Crimson Tide went 13-1 in 2017, winning the national championship, and then 14-1 in 2018 with their only loss coming in the national title game.

In the NFL, though, Williams has never been on a team that has won more than seven games.

“I’ve never been to the playoffs,” he said. “As a competitor, I want to win it all. I’m an ultimate competitor. I want to win every single game if I can. I was bred to win from coach (Nick) Saban, doing the things we did at Alabama. And I wanted to bring that same mentality to this defense, because our offense has that mentality. Just trying to develop a new defensive culture and defensive mindset.”

A defensive turnaround is needed in Dallas. While new defensive coordinator Christian Parker has his hands full, having a dominant Williams in the middle could make things much easier for the first-time DC.

Some of the best training camp battles over the next few weeks should be Williams going against Dallas’ outstanding young guards, Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. A younger Williams probably wouldn’t say much to those younger players. Entering the league in 2019, the third pick in that draft class acknowledges he was more of a lead-by-example player earlier in his career.

Now, he’s more vocal. When he joined the Cowboys last season, his locker at The Star was off to the side. He has since been moved right in the center, next to Prescott. Williams is also one of four defensive players on the team’s leadership council.

The Cowboys need Williams the player to be outstanding, but they also need him to stand out behind the scenes. If everything comes together, perhaps this will be the season when the team success he had in college is finally experienced professionally.

“He’s an incredible teammate,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “He’s one of the most humble superstars I’ve ever been around. He truly is. I think being in New York and unfortunately not being a part of playoff teams, he’s to the point in his career where it’s not about money, it’s not about sacks, it’s about wins. And I love that because when you combine that with certain guys like Dak Prescott and other players, that’s what they want to lead the league in is wins. And he’s just an awesome family man. Great teammate, but the player speaks for itself.”

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s son Elijah, who has been charged with shooting his mother at the Bieniemys’ home in suburban Virginia, “appears to suffer from significant mental health issues” and “does not appear able to assist in his own defense at the present time,” his public defender asserted in court filings.

Elijah Zion Bieniemy, 27, will undergo a competency evaluation after a Loudoun County judge granted his attorney’s motion at a brief hearing Thursday morning.

Elijah Bieniemy’s attorney initially filed two motions: one to evaluate his competency and another for a mental health evaluation. The latter was temporarily withdrawn. In it, his attorney wrote that he previously has been diagnosed with a “serious illness.” She said his mental state at the time of the alleged shooting will play a crucial role in his defense and that he is “indigent” and lacks the financial means to pay for a sanity evaluation on his own.

Bieniemy’s wife, Mia, was shot twice Sunday night at the couple’s home in Ashburn, Va., where they moved when Eric served as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator in 2023. Police arrested Elijah and charged him with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside of a dwelling.

Chiefs Coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Mia had been transferred from the ICU and her condition had shown “great” improvement. Bieniemy left Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, Mo., to be with his wife, and Reid said there is no timeline for his return.

The judge moved Elijah Bieniemy’s preliminary hearing from Aug. 31 to Sept. 9, five days before the Chiefs’ season opener on “Monday Night Football” against the Denver Broncos.

Elijah Bieniemy’s mental health appears to have led to police involvement at least once before.

Almost a decade ago, police conducted a welfare check at Bieniemy’s home in Kansas after an apparent call from Eric Bieniemy expressing concern about his son, records show.

On Feb. 10, 2017 at 2:37 a.m., a man calling from the address of Bieniemy’s home in Olathe, Kan. told police he “doesn’t know what’s going on with his son,” according to Olathe Police Department records.

The caller told police he thought his son, whom he said was 17 years old, may have taken drugs earlier and “is acting very strange.” When an officer asked if his son was being violent, the man replied he was “kind of in between.” Police came to the house, and the subject was taken to Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

The report from the incident did not name Elijah Bieniemy, who would have been 17 at the time. It listed Eric and Mia Bieniemy as parties.

In another prior run-in with authorities, in October 2022, Elijah Bieniemy pleaded guilty to driving 103 miles per hour in a 75-mph speed limit zone and paid a $177 fine.