Williams: Cowboys hope to keep Byron Jones at safety next season

boozeman

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Cowboys hope to keep Byron Jones at safety next season


By Charean Williams


cjwilliams@star-telegram.com


IRVING —

The Cowboys drafted Byron Jones for his versatility, but it’s his versatility that’s stunted his development at safety.

Three times this season, the Cowboys have needed Jones to play cornerback in place of Morris Claiborne. He had not even practiced at the position since training camp until moving over in Week 11.

“When I played against Miami, I gave up a couple of deep shots on that one,” Jones said. “I did better against Carolina, and then of course, I gave up the big one against the Jets on the sidelines. It was tough. It was one of those things you’ve got to learn from. The margin of error at corner is very small. It was definitely a tough ball game.”

Jones gave up a 47-yard pass play to Miami’s Jarvis Landry in Week 11, allowed only two catches on four targets with two pass breakups against Carolina, and then let Jets receiver Kenbrell Thompkins get behind him for a 43-yard gain that set up the game-winning field goal last week.


Jones was one-on-one with Thompkins but was supposed to be playing off-man instead of press coverage.

“Going back to corner last week was tough on him,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “But he’s the next available at that point because there are so many details that don’t relate. There are so many things that do not relate at all, and, boy, he’s been good at it going in and doesn’t make a lot of assignment errors. The technique stuff can get to you.”

Jones has played better at safety than at corner this season. That likely will become his permanent position moving forward.

“He’s got such range in the middle of the field,” Marinelli said. “That kind of height and leverage and reach and speed in the middle, he’s kind of a sweeper back there. And he can go down on any guy back there and play man on the tight end, and he matches up real well As he moves forward, hopefully we can keep him at one position.”


Jones is just happy to have played as much as he has this season. He has played 743 of 927 defensive snaps, making 65 tackles and breaking up a team-leading 12 passes.

“For me, being a rookie, just being on the field has been beneficial,” Jones said.
 

Jiggyfly

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Good to hear.

And I know this is sacrilege but especially in this draft if CB is the highest rated guy at our pick and there is no trade down opps. I woudld have no issue taking Hargraves.

It would allow us to move on from Carr and or Claiborne and have a good young CB locked up long term, allowing great cap flexibility moving forward.
 
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Cotton

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That's good news. Draft a decent CB in the 3rd/4th and call it a day.
 

Carp

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I'm good with Carr coming back next year...he was good this year. Claiborne was too...his injury this year might make him cheaper too. Get Scandrick back...hell, Mitchell might stick so we don't have to really be forced into taking a CB.
 

townsend

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Carr needs to get an interception or something. I think we should at least sack Henderson. Our DBs routinely have their best season as rookies our first year signings. I think we'll keep missing on QBs and CBs as long as we have sub par position coaches.
 

Clay_Allison

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Carr needs to get an interception or something. I think we should at least sack Henderson. Our DBs routinely have their best season as rookies our first year signings. I think we'll keep missing on QBs and CBs as long as we have sub par position coaches.
I still can't understand why we didn't hire an experienced Tampa 2 DB coach if we were going to run this scheme. The Tampa-2 is named after the way the DBs play, it kind of doesn't work when that's not executed well. This is a smaller version of keeping Mike Zimmer to install the 3-4 defense or trying to have HC/coordinator and coordinator/position coach hybrids. The structure of the Dallas coaching staff hasn't made any sense since the last time we won a Super Bowl.
 

townsend

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I still can't understand why we didn't hire an experienced Tampa 2 DB coach if we were going to run this scheme. The Tampa-2 is named after the way the DBs play, it kind of doesn't work when that's not executed well. This is a smaller version of keeping Mike Zimmer to install the 3-4 defense or trying to have HC/coordinator and coordinator/position coach hybrids. The structure of the Dallas coaching staff hasn't made any sense since the last time we won a Super Bowl.
This is the biggest issue with Jerry as a GM. He's half assed his coaching staff for 20 years now. Plugging and chugging without any kind deliberation of how they fit together.
 

Cotton

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This is the biggest issue with Jerry as a GM. He's half assed his coaching staff for 20 years now. Plugging and chugging without any kind deliberation of how they fit together.
I'm sure he's deliberated plenty. He just has zero clue what he is doing.
 

VA Cowboy

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Carr needs to get an interception or something.
This is one reason I don't want Ramsey or Hargreaves in the top 5. I believe Ramsey only has 3 INT's, not to mention he's not a pure cover CB and will probably move to safety. If we invest a high pick in another DB I don't want one that can't get int's and is projected to move from his college position. And Hargreaves is only 5-11 and is knocked for not being physical. He also got torched by Jake Coker in the SECC game. I think he did look good against KY, Vandy and Fla Atlantic, so that's something.
 

Cowboysrock55

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This is one reason I don't want Ramsey or Hargreaves in the top 5. I believe Ramsey only has 3 INT's, not to mention he's not a pure cover CB and will probably move to safety. If we invest a high pick in another DB I don't want one that can't get int's and is projected to move from his college position. And Hargreaves is only 5-11 and is knocked for not being physical. He also got torched by Jake Coker in the SECC game. I think he did look good against KY, Vandy and Fla Atlantic, so that's something.
If Desmond King declares out of Iowa I would be all over him. The guy is a ball magnet. Plus I think he could play FS as well if needed.
 
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