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Byron Jones off to hot start in full-time CB role
By Patrik Walker
Things are shaping up quite nicely in 2018 for Byron Jones, and it's a long time in the making.
The Dallas Cowboys have been trying to figure out exactly what they want the uber-talented defensive back to be heading into his fourth year in the NFL (oy vey), but to no avail. That certainly isn't to say Jones has not been impactful throughout his rookie contract, because he has. The problem is he hasn't reached his full potential as of yet, and a lot of that is accountable to the fact the team has failed to fully commit him to the one position he'd truly excel at more than any other.
Sure, he has the ability to play centerfielder, but his record-setting athleticism and physical build are much better suited for that of an NFL cornerback.
It took all of two seconds for Kris Richard to make this assessment after being hired by the Cowboys, giving a very real indication of how aggressive the secondary will look going forward. However, with a hamstring injury on starting free safety Xavier Woods that could keep him out of the season opener, some were beginning to form the opinion Jones could be moved back to safety until further notice. Head coach Jason Garrett didn't exactly rule out the idea in his latest press conference, when the question was posed, simply saying "ideally" the Cowboys would keep him at the cornerback position.
Jones himself, who has lauded the move the entire offseason and immediately watched it pay off in training camp, remains every bit the team player -- nothing he'd move back "in a second", if he was asked to. The good news for everyone is he won't be, because Richard is hearing none of it. The new coordinator was also asked the question, his reply being far more definitive than Garrett's, and it even came equipped with an echo-location feature.
“Byron plays corner," he said, before repeating himself several times to drive home the point. "Byron plays corner. Byron plays corner. Byron plays corner.”
It sounds like, and correct me if I'm far off-base here, that Jones plays corner. Even better, he's damn good at it.
Jones has 11 tackles in the first two games but, more importantly, he's becoming a migraine for opposing quarterbacks. In his Week 2 outing alone, he was targeted five times by Eli Manning but allowed only one catch, and the receiver gained precisely zero yards on it.
Ideal.
So stout was his play on Sunday Night Football that his grade of 83.9 landed him on the PFF Team of the Week.
Already proclaiming it to be a "good move" for both himself and the team, things are beginning to rapidly take shape that could prove Jones correct and Richard the brilliant football mind the league remembers him to be. Describing Jones as the "prototypical" corner, and one that eerily matches All-Pro Richard Sherman in measurables -- sans record-breaking numbers from the NFL Combine by the junior corner -- the Cowboys will depend on Jones to anchor the young secondary by shutting down some of the top wideouts in football.
On Sunday, that task involved helping keep a cap on Odell Beckham, Jr., a dynamo at the position who was hot off of a 111-yard outing. Against Jones and his compatriot Chidobe Awuzie, Beckham reeled in only 51 yards on only four receptions. For perspective, running back Saquon Barkley outgained him in the air by 29 yards -- becoming the Giants' top receiver in their 20-13 loss to the Cowboys.
Jones feels great, looks great and his confidence is through the shingles. If only the Cowboys realized how good he could be at the position sooner.
If only.
By Patrik Walker
Things are shaping up quite nicely in 2018 for Byron Jones, and it's a long time in the making.
The Dallas Cowboys have been trying to figure out exactly what they want the uber-talented defensive back to be heading into his fourth year in the NFL (oy vey), but to no avail. That certainly isn't to say Jones has not been impactful throughout his rookie contract, because he has. The problem is he hasn't reached his full potential as of yet, and a lot of that is accountable to the fact the team has failed to fully commit him to the one position he'd truly excel at more than any other.
Sure, he has the ability to play centerfielder, but his record-setting athleticism and physical build are much better suited for that of an NFL cornerback.
It took all of two seconds for Kris Richard to make this assessment after being hired by the Cowboys, giving a very real indication of how aggressive the secondary will look going forward. However, with a hamstring injury on starting free safety Xavier Woods that could keep him out of the season opener, some were beginning to form the opinion Jones could be moved back to safety until further notice. Head coach Jason Garrett didn't exactly rule out the idea in his latest press conference, when the question was posed, simply saying "ideally" the Cowboys would keep him at the cornerback position.
Jones himself, who has lauded the move the entire offseason and immediately watched it pay off in training camp, remains every bit the team player -- nothing he'd move back "in a second", if he was asked to. The good news for everyone is he won't be, because Richard is hearing none of it. The new coordinator was also asked the question, his reply being far more definitive than Garrett's, and it even came equipped with an echo-location feature.
“Byron plays corner," he said, before repeating himself several times to drive home the point. "Byron plays corner. Byron plays corner. Byron plays corner.”
It sounds like, and correct me if I'm far off-base here, that Jones plays corner. Even better, he's damn good at it.
Jones has 11 tackles in the first two games but, more importantly, he's becoming a migraine for opposing quarterbacks. In his Week 2 outing alone, he was targeted five times by Eli Manning but allowed only one catch, and the receiver gained precisely zero yards on it.
Ideal.
So stout was his play on Sunday Night Football that his grade of 83.9 landed him on the PFF Team of the Week.
Already proclaiming it to be a "good move" for both himself and the team, things are beginning to rapidly take shape that could prove Jones correct and Richard the brilliant football mind the league remembers him to be. Describing Jones as the "prototypical" corner, and one that eerily matches All-Pro Richard Sherman in measurables -- sans record-breaking numbers from the NFL Combine by the junior corner -- the Cowboys will depend on Jones to anchor the young secondary by shutting down some of the top wideouts in football.
On Sunday, that task involved helping keep a cap on Odell Beckham, Jr., a dynamo at the position who was hot off of a 111-yard outing. Against Jones and his compatriot Chidobe Awuzie, Beckham reeled in only 51 yards on only four receptions. For perspective, running back Saquon Barkley outgained him in the air by 29 yards -- becoming the Giants' top receiver in their 20-13 loss to the Cowboys.
Jones feels great, looks great and his confidence is through the shingles. If only the Cowboys realized how good he could be at the position sooner.
If only.
