- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 119,705
Cowboys could be open to safety play but fit matters
2:30 PM ET
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
With the draft fast approaching, the Dallas Cowboys have needs all across the board. Over the next two weeks we will offer up a position-by-position review of the roster and match up the best available in the draft at those positions.
SAFETY
On the roster: Barry Church (signed through 2016), Byron Jones (signed through 2018), J.J. Wilcox (signed through 2016), Jeff Heath (signed through 2019)
Cap status: Church $4.75 million, Jones, $1.954 million, Wilcox $1.842 million, Heath $1.35 million
Best available in draft: Karl Joseph, Vonn Bell,
Down the line: Darian Thompson, Justin Simmons, Miles Killebrew
Position review: When the Cowboys drafted Jones in the first round last year they had it in their mind that he could play safety. By the end of his rookie season eh was a starter and appears to be set to play the position full-time in 2016.
He gives the Cowboys a dimension they have not had lately in how he can cover ground. His athleticism gives him a chance to go sideline to sideline. He is not afraid to tackle either.
Church is entering the final year of his deal and is a favorite of the coaches. He can play down in the box and is a decent tackler. He is reliable, but he can make some mistakes. Wilcox’s play dropped off last year after showing some promise in 2014. He is also in the final year of his deal and might find himself in a battle for a roster spot.
Heath just signed a four-year deal worth $7.67 million. He is their best special teamer, but the coaches believe he can be a contributor defensively. He led the Cowboys in interceptions last year with two. Heath receives way too much heat for what he is asked to do with fans stuck on what happened to him mostly as an undrafted rookie that had to play more than he was ready to play.
One possibility at safety in 2016 could be cornerback Terrance Mitchell. He doesn’t have top-end speed, but the Cowboys like his ability to be around the ball.
Draft need: MEDIUM/LOW: A pick here wouldn’t be so much about the present as it would be the future. Everybody wants an Earl Thomas type, and there aren’t very many of those around. The Cowboys view Jones as a safety and a cornerstone piece, so they would have to be blown away to take one early.
The safety scene: Some teams believe Jalen Ramsey is a safety, so he would be the best available. He was a playmaker in that spot in 2014. He is not afraid of contact. He can move. But would the Cowboys then move Jones back to corner?
Joseph has some medical concerns because of a knee injury he suffered in practice last fall, but he can destroy offenses. He is not the biggest player, but he hits and hits hard. Before his injury, he had five interceptions last year. There is concern over his frame for the long haul, but he could be special.
Thompson was a four-year starter and a playmaker with 19 interceptions, but he seems to gamble a little too much, which might scare off this staff. Simmons carries the traits with his athleticism. He played corner at Boston College as well and had eight interceptions. He might be worth taking a chance on to develop.
The best guess: It depends on whether you think Ramsey is a safety. The belief is that he would play cornerback for the Cowboys. The Cowboys have Church and Wilcox in the final years of their deals. They have Jones and Heath signed up for the future. The case can be made to add a safety, but that would likely require a roster move of some kind. The Cowboys don’t need to draft a safety, but they could go that route on the best-player available theory.
2:30 PM ET
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
With the draft fast approaching, the Dallas Cowboys have needs all across the board. Over the next two weeks we will offer up a position-by-position review of the roster and match up the best available in the draft at those positions.
SAFETY
On the roster: Barry Church (signed through 2016), Byron Jones (signed through 2018), J.J. Wilcox (signed through 2016), Jeff Heath (signed through 2019)
Cap status: Church $4.75 million, Jones, $1.954 million, Wilcox $1.842 million, Heath $1.35 million
Best available in draft: Karl Joseph, Vonn Bell,
Down the line: Darian Thompson, Justin Simmons, Miles Killebrew
Position review: When the Cowboys drafted Jones in the first round last year they had it in their mind that he could play safety. By the end of his rookie season eh was a starter and appears to be set to play the position full-time in 2016.
He gives the Cowboys a dimension they have not had lately in how he can cover ground. His athleticism gives him a chance to go sideline to sideline. He is not afraid to tackle either.
Church is entering the final year of his deal and is a favorite of the coaches. He can play down in the box and is a decent tackler. He is reliable, but he can make some mistakes. Wilcox’s play dropped off last year after showing some promise in 2014. He is also in the final year of his deal and might find himself in a battle for a roster spot.
Heath just signed a four-year deal worth $7.67 million. He is their best special teamer, but the coaches believe he can be a contributor defensively. He led the Cowboys in interceptions last year with two. Heath receives way too much heat for what he is asked to do with fans stuck on what happened to him mostly as an undrafted rookie that had to play more than he was ready to play.
One possibility at safety in 2016 could be cornerback Terrance Mitchell. He doesn’t have top-end speed, but the Cowboys like his ability to be around the ball.
Draft need: MEDIUM/LOW: A pick here wouldn’t be so much about the present as it would be the future. Everybody wants an Earl Thomas type, and there aren’t very many of those around. The Cowboys view Jones as a safety and a cornerstone piece, so they would have to be blown away to take one early.
The safety scene: Some teams believe Jalen Ramsey is a safety, so he would be the best available. He was a playmaker in that spot in 2014. He is not afraid of contact. He can move. But would the Cowboys then move Jones back to corner?
Joseph has some medical concerns because of a knee injury he suffered in practice last fall, but he can destroy offenses. He is not the biggest player, but he hits and hits hard. Before his injury, he had five interceptions last year. There is concern over his frame for the long haul, but he could be special.
Thompson was a four-year starter and a playmaker with 19 interceptions, but he seems to gamble a little too much, which might scare off this staff. Simmons carries the traits with his athleticism. He played corner at Boston College as well and had eight interceptions. He might be worth taking a chance on to develop.
The best guess: It depends on whether you think Ramsey is a safety. The belief is that he would play cornerback for the Cowboys. The Cowboys have Church and Wilcox in the final years of their deals. They have Jones and Heath signed up for the future. The case can be made to add a safety, but that would likely require a roster move of some kind. The Cowboys don’t need to draft a safety, but they could go that route on the best-player available theory.