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Only a matter of time until Byron Jones starts at safety
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- If we had to do an injury report for Five Wonders, then it would have said: did not practice, illness.
I promise, I communicated well in advance with my bosses and after a few hours of recovery, all is well and it's time to wonder about the Cowboys.
Away we go:
1. I wonder if it’s just a matter of time before Byron Jones becomes a full-time starter at safety. In last week’s loss to the Giants he saw action in the base defense in both halves, splitting time with J.J. Wilcox. He had a nice deep-ball breakup on a pass from Eli Manning to Rueben Randle after Jason Garrett said he initially lined up incorrectly. Jones’ athleticism allowed him to get back in position to make a play. He has played a lot because of the way the Cowboys use their sub packages anyway, but it could be on an every-down basis soon. The Cowboys drafted him as a cornerback, but also said he could play some safety. Now it appears he could be more of a safety who could play some corner. All along, the comparison for Jones was New England’s Devin McCourty, who made a similar move. That seems more apt now.
2. Jerry Jones raised many eyebrows when he said on 105.3 The Fan that he would like to sign Greg Hardy to a multi-year deal, but I wonder just how possible it is. In order for Hardy to get top, top, top dollar he needs to head to the open market. The Cowboys can’t put the franchise or transition tag on him per their one-year agreement. While Hardy might love being a Cowboy, it’s about maximizing top dollar. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is a master at it. Without other teams involved, it’s easier to keep the price down even if the Cowboys have negotiated against themselves in the past. Hardy is on pace for 18 sacks in 12 games. Maybe some teams will stay away from him because of the off-field issues, but you can be guaranteed he will get a lot of interest from a lot of teams.
3. I wonder if the offensive line found something against the New York Giants. Well, not just the line, but the coaches, too. The Cowboys were able to run successfully with a lot of misdirection that got the bigger front off-balance. That might not be the best way to attack an athletic front like Seattle’s this week. Last year, the Cowboys were able to power their way to 162 rushing yards against the Seahawks. But against New York, the synchronization of the run game was at its best. In the first five games, the back didn’t make the right read or the line didn’t create any displacement and it would vary from play to play. Confidence can go a long way for a player and a unit. The line’s ability to knock the Giants back should help them going forward and give them a good boost.
4. At 2-4 and in last place in the NFC East, it’s probably not a wise thing to talk about the playoffs, but only six teams in the NFC have a winning record. While we have all focused on the division as the entry into the postseason, I wonder if the Cowboys could make it as a wild card. OK, it was a quick wonder. The losses to the Falcons (6-1) and Saints (3-4) might doom those chances. The Vikings are 4-2 but the NFC North is not trending well with the Lions and Bears struggling. If the Cowboys want to have any faint wild-card hopes, the must beat the Seahawks Sunday. Ah, who’s kidding who: it’s the division or bust.
5. I know I’m supposed to wonder something, but here’s what I’m not wondering: I’m not wondering if the Cowboys make a trade by next week’s deadline. They have already made deals for Christine Michael, Brice Butler and Matt Cassel. They will recoup the picks lost in 2016 for the Michael and Butler trades from compensatory picks. But they can’t afford to give away more picks. OK, here is a slight wonder: I wonder if the Cowboys would be open to dealing one of their players to a team in need. Who? Joseph Randle? Mackenzy Bernadeau? Gavin Escobar? I’m not sure what you could get in return, which is why I don’t think anything will happen at the deadline.
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- If we had to do an injury report for Five Wonders, then it would have said: did not practice, illness.
I promise, I communicated well in advance with my bosses and after a few hours of recovery, all is well and it's time to wonder about the Cowboys.
Away we go:
1. I wonder if it’s just a matter of time before Byron Jones becomes a full-time starter at safety. In last week’s loss to the Giants he saw action in the base defense in both halves, splitting time with J.J. Wilcox. He had a nice deep-ball breakup on a pass from Eli Manning to Rueben Randle after Jason Garrett said he initially lined up incorrectly. Jones’ athleticism allowed him to get back in position to make a play. He has played a lot because of the way the Cowboys use their sub packages anyway, but it could be on an every-down basis soon. The Cowboys drafted him as a cornerback, but also said he could play some safety. Now it appears he could be more of a safety who could play some corner. All along, the comparison for Jones was New England’s Devin McCourty, who made a similar move. That seems more apt now.
2. Jerry Jones raised many eyebrows when he said on 105.3 The Fan that he would like to sign Greg Hardy to a multi-year deal, but I wonder just how possible it is. In order for Hardy to get top, top, top dollar he needs to head to the open market. The Cowboys can’t put the franchise or transition tag on him per their one-year agreement. While Hardy might love being a Cowboy, it’s about maximizing top dollar. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is a master at it. Without other teams involved, it’s easier to keep the price down even if the Cowboys have negotiated against themselves in the past. Hardy is on pace for 18 sacks in 12 games. Maybe some teams will stay away from him because of the off-field issues, but you can be guaranteed he will get a lot of interest from a lot of teams.
3. I wonder if the offensive line found something against the New York Giants. Well, not just the line, but the coaches, too. The Cowboys were able to run successfully with a lot of misdirection that got the bigger front off-balance. That might not be the best way to attack an athletic front like Seattle’s this week. Last year, the Cowboys were able to power their way to 162 rushing yards against the Seahawks. But against New York, the synchronization of the run game was at its best. In the first five games, the back didn’t make the right read or the line didn’t create any displacement and it would vary from play to play. Confidence can go a long way for a player and a unit. The line’s ability to knock the Giants back should help them going forward and give them a good boost.
4. At 2-4 and in last place in the NFC East, it’s probably not a wise thing to talk about the playoffs, but only six teams in the NFC have a winning record. While we have all focused on the division as the entry into the postseason, I wonder if the Cowboys could make it as a wild card. OK, it was a quick wonder. The losses to the Falcons (6-1) and Saints (3-4) might doom those chances. The Vikings are 4-2 but the NFC North is not trending well with the Lions and Bears struggling. If the Cowboys want to have any faint wild-card hopes, the must beat the Seahawks Sunday. Ah, who’s kidding who: it’s the division or bust.
5. I know I’m supposed to wonder something, but here’s what I’m not wondering: I’m not wondering if the Cowboys make a trade by next week’s deadline. They have already made deals for Christine Michael, Brice Butler and Matt Cassel. They will recoup the picks lost in 2016 for the Michael and Butler trades from compensatory picks. But they can’t afford to give away more picks. OK, here is a slight wonder: I wonder if the Cowboys would be open to dealing one of their players to a team in need. Who? Joseph Randle? Mackenzy Bernadeau? Gavin Escobar? I’m not sure what you could get in return, which is why I don’t think anything will happen at the deadline.
