BTB: Did the Dallas Cowboys improve at cornerback in 2018?

[jobberone]

Taking a good look at every position on the roster and asking the question: Did the Cowboys improve?

[In this series, we’ll take a look at the additions and subtractions at every position on the Dallas Cowboys roster. We’ll compare where the Cowboys were to where they currently sit and ask the ultimate question. Did the Cowboys improve or not? In other words, do you feel better about the state of the roster going into the 2018 season?]

Last season:

Chidobe Awuzie - drafted 60th overall (2nd round), 10 games played, 25 tackles, seven passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble

Jourdan Lewis - drafted 92 overall (3rd round), 15 games played, seven starts, 54 tackles, 10 passes defensed, one interception

Anthony Brown - 16 games played, 10 starts, 54 tackles, 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble

Orlando Scandrick - 11 starts, 38 tackles, three passes defensed, released in offseason, signed two-year, $7M deal with Commanders, $1M gtd.

Nolan Carroll - signed in free agency, two starts, five tackles, released October 11th

Bene Benekwere - via trade with Bengals at roster cuts, 12 games played, two tackles, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery, signed one-year vet deal with Cardinals

Duke Thomas - signed in free agency, spent season on IR

Marquez White - drafted 216th overall (6th round), Practice squad

This season:


Byron Jones - moved from FS to CB, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Duke Thomas,
Marquez White, Donovan Olumba - UDFA Portland State, College stats: 11 starts, 21 tackles, seven passes defensed, two TFL’s, Charvarius Ward - UDFA Middle Tennessee State, College stats: 24 games, 74 tackles, 14 passes defensed, three TFL’s, two interceptions, one fumble recovery

All of last year’s rookies except for Marquez White played significant time with Xavier Woods splitting time at safety and cornerback. One of the first moves that was made this offseason was the hiring of Kris Richard, the legendary engineer of Seattle’s Legion of Boom, to take over the coaching duties of the secondary. We’ve since learned that Richard’s role will be much bigger than that as he will be the passing game coordinator and possibly be the defensive-coordinator-in-waiting.

The first move Richard made was taking Byron Jones, a man without a sure position, and moving him to cornerback. Richard likes his perimeter corners to have length and Jones has plenty. Jones is also one of the premier athletes on the roster who has the coverage abilities to take on big receivers and tight ends but also has the speed to stick with faster receivers. Richard felt that Jones was drafted as a cornerback and that’s where his best place will be going forward.

Chidobe Awuzie had a pretty strong rookie season though he had to deal with some nicks and bruises. Awuzie eventually took over a starting role last season and played well enough to keep it. He’s got a lot of qualities that Richard likes including desired length and sticky man coverage abilities. Awuzie was clearly one of the best cornerbacks the Cowboys had last season and showed improvements with each game he played.

The same could be said for Jourdan Lewis, who Richard calls an exception to his length rule. Lewis is sub-six feet but he has good length in his arms and was also a clear talent in his rookie season. Lewis was the best nickelback in college and the Cowboys will look to have him battle with Anthony Brown for the slot role this season. Brown has had the early advantage in the offseason program but Lewis has the talent to win the job. Brown had his struggles last season but he was also on the right side of a few calls last season, snagging a couple of picks. Brown does have speed on his side but also has the ability to play inside and out.

Duke Thomas had a position won on this roster last year with a solid preseason performance but he ended up on IR with a season ending injury. Duke will battle second-year player Marquez White, who’s quietly held his own at Florida State, allowing a completion percentage of 32.1 when thrown at. We’ll soon see if White can challenge Thomas for a fifth corner spot. However, he won’t be the only challenger as Charvarius Ward is a very interesting candidate too. Ward led his defense with 14 passes defensed last season. If he can continue to get his hands on the football, he’ll have a shot.

Conclusion: The Cowboys secondary is young and hungry, with the hiring of Richard, they’re in great hands. The cornerback position is quite strong with it’s top four and you can never have too many quality cornerbacks on the roster. There is no doubt that the Cowboys cornerback position is getting better than it has been over the past several seasons.

Continue reading...

 

[jobberone]

Feels rich but many lack experience.

 

[Tangle_Foot]

The young talent will mature under the tutelage of Kris Richard, who has seen fit to move Byron Jones to cornerback.

Yes we will be better at cornerback in 2018

 

[gmoney112]

The 5th CB spot is going to be fun to watch. I liked the Duke a lot last year before he got injured. Ward is bigger and also fits the "mold". While White is somewhere in the middle and not very fast, but has the experience at this point.

I think Duke takes it if he's healthy, but I like Ward too. White is probably the odd man out, he's going to have to really get after it if he wants that spot.

 

[Silverstar]

Addition by subtraction in losing Scandrick, Carroll and Benekwere IMO.

UDFA's Ward and Kelly could surprise.

 

[Alexander]

“Last year we didn’t have a set technique . . . It was pretty much do as you please, whatever makes you comfortable. That’s helping us be patient. and it’s really helping our feet. . . . Whenever we press man and we come up to the line, our first thought in our head is to get that kick-step.”

This quote from Byron Jones about the change in technique work is pretty telling. Just like Beasley's quote about Dooley, it appears we had an extremely lazy set of coaches for the for most part.

 

[Rockport]

Taking a good look at every position on the roster and asking the question: Did the Cowboys improve?

[In this series, we’ll take a look at the additions and subtractions at every position on the Dallas Cowboys roster. We’ll compare where the Cowboys were to where they currently sit and ask the ultimate question. Did the Cowboys improve or not? In other words, do you feel better about the state of the roster going into the 2018 season?]

Last season:

Chidobe Awuzie - drafted 60th overall (2nd round), 10 games played, 25 tackles, seven passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble

Jourdan Lewis - drafted 92 overall (3rd round), 15 games played, seven starts, 54 tackles, 10 passes defensed, one interception

Anthony Brown - 16 games played, 10 starts, 54 tackles, 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble

Orlando Scandrick - 11 starts, 38 tackles, three passes defensed, released in offseason, signed two-year, $7M deal with Commanders, $1M gtd.

Nolan Carroll - signed in free agency, two starts, five tackles, released October 11th

Bene Benekwere - via trade with Bengals at roster cuts, 12 games played, two tackles, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery, signed one-year vet deal with Cardinals

Duke Thomas - signed in free agency, spent season on IR

Marquez White - drafted 216th overall (6th round), Practice squad

This season:


Byron Jones - moved from FS to CB, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Duke Thomas,
Marquez White, Donovan Olumba - UDFA Portland State, College stats: 11 starts, 21 tackles, seven passes defensed, two TFL’s, Charvarius Ward - UDFA Middle Tennessee State, College stats: 24 games, 74 tackles, 14 passes defensed, three TFL’s, two interceptions, one fumble recovery

All of last year’s rookies except for Marquez White played significant time with Xavier Woods splitting time at safety and cornerback. One of the first moves that was made this offseason was the hiring of Kris Richard, the legendary engineer of Seattle’s Legion of Boom, to take over the coaching duties of the secondary. We’ve since learned that Richard’s role will be much bigger than that as he will be the passing game coordinator and possibly be the defensive-coordinator-in-waiting.

The first move Richard made was taking Byron Jones, a man without a sure position, and moving him to cornerback. Richard likes his perimeter corners to have length and Jones has plenty. Jones is also one of the premier athletes on the roster who has the coverage abilities to take on big receivers and tight ends but also has the speed to stick with faster receivers. Richard felt that Jones was drafted as a cornerback and that’s where his best place will be going forward.

Chidobe Awuzie had a pretty strong rookie season though he had to deal with some nicks and bruises. Awuzie eventually took over a starting role last season and played well enough to keep it. He’s got a lot of qualities that Richard likes including desired length and sticky man coverage abilities. Awuzie was clearly one of the best cornerbacks the Cowboys had last season and showed improvements with each game he played.

The same could be said for Jourdan Lewis, who Richard calls an exception to his length rule. Lewis is sub-six feet but he has good length in his arms and was also a clear talent in his rookie season. Lewis was the best nickelback in college and the Cowboys will look to have him battle with Anthony Brown for the slot role this season. Brown has had the early advantage in the offseason program but Lewis has the talent to win the job. Brown had his struggles last season but he was also on the right side of a few calls last season, snagging a couple of picks. Brown does have speed on his side but also has the ability to play inside and out.

Duke Thomas had a position won on this roster last year with a solid preseason performance but he ended up on IR with a season ending injury. Duke will battle second-year player Marquez White, who’s quietly held his own at Florida State, allowing a completion percentage of 32.1 when thrown at. We’ll soon see if White can challenge Thomas for a fifth corner spot. However, he won’t be the only challenger as Charvarius Ward is a very interesting candidate too. Ward led his defense with 14 passes defensed last season. If he can continue to get his hands on the football, he’ll have a shot.

Conclusion: The Cowboys secondary is young and hungry, with the hiring of Richard, they’re in great hands. The cornerback position is quite strong with it’s top four and you can never have too many quality cornerbacks on the roster. There is no doubt that the Cowboys cornerback position is getting better than it has been over the past several seasons.

Continue reading...

The secondary will be better this year by the simple fact that the continued development of the defensive line that really came on in the 2nd half last year. The continued development of Tapper, Taco, Lawrence and others (who dominated at times last year) will allow the secondary to make more interceptions and knockdowns. We also have a different coach from the vaunted Seattle defense that will help the development of the young guys back there.

 

[Rayman70]

Kris Richard made this defense better day 1. HUGE SIGNING.

 

[Rayman70]

rockport...IMO..this is 1 of these cases where one coaching staff hire makes a key difference in the level of confidence the team has on Sundays. Its already showing in practices...and if you pay attention to the player interviews. For a bunch of years our db's have played not to lose and soft. Now Richard is teaching aggressive sound technique. He knows what it takes to win. I call it controlled chaos. Some call it man press lol. Another words..he gonna put these guys in a position to be physical and WIN.YOU WILL SEE AN ATTACKING DEFENSE. NO more of this reactionary crap.

 

[Jipper]

As long as they stop lining up 8 yards off the ball they will be better

 

[Sydla]

Yes.

 

[dfense]

I see Chidobi and Jones starting at corner with Lewis and Brown fighting out for third corner.
Woods and Heath at safety.
Brown as slot guy. He was best playing there before they moved him.

Secondary is coming together.

 

[jazzcat22]

rockport...IMO..this is 1 of these cases where one coaching staff hire makes a key difference in the level of confidence the team has on Sundays. Its already showing in practices...and if you pay attention to the player interviews. For a bunch of years our db's have played not to lose and soft. Now Richard is teaching aggressive sound technique. He knows what it takes to win. I call it controlled chaos. Some call it man press lol. Another words..he gonna put these guys in a position to be physical and WIN.YOU WILL SEE AN ATTACKING DEFENSE. NO more of this reactionary crap.

Ok, a month to go until TC, and you got me pumped up a bit more than I was about the secondary. Still need to see what he can do at S, but still pumped with the change in style of play and philosophy. TC can't get here quick enough to start reading some reports and seeing TC footage.

We needed an attacking D for years, how long have we wanted that, instead of the wimpy bend but don't break crap that has been out there. Maybe they incorporate both at times, but still I like this new approach.

 

[kskboys]

Why is everyone so high on Byron?

IMO, moving him to corner is a last ditch effort to find a use for him to prove we didn't waste a 1st.

 

[jazzcat22]

Why is everyone so high on Byron?

IMO, moving him to corner is a last ditch effort to find a use for him to prove we didn't waste a 1st.

It is his more natural position. So it is NOT a last ditch effort.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

Why is everyone so high on Byron?

IMO, moving him to corner is a last ditch effort to find a use for him to prove we didn't waste a 1st.

He might be the single most athletic person in the league. The tools are there, someone needs to figure out how to unlock them. Hasn't happened yet. You are correct that corner is a last-ditch effort to find a use for him. He was very uneven at safety and never found the level of consistency you expect for a high round draft pick.

 

[InTheZone]

Taking a good look at every position on the roster and asking the question: Did the Cowboys improve?

[In this series, we’ll take a look at the additions and subtractions at every position on the Dallas Cowboys roster. We’ll compare where the Cowboys were to where they currently sit and ask the ultimate question. Did the Cowboys improve or not? In other words, do you feel better about the state of the roster going into the 2018 season?]

Last season:

Chidobe Awuzie - drafted 60th overall (2nd round), 10 games played, 25 tackles, seven passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble

Jourdan Lewis - drafted 92 overall (3rd round), 15 games played, seven starts, 54 tackles, 10 passes defensed, one interception

Anthony Brown - 16 games played, 10 starts, 54 tackles, 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble

Orlando Scandrick - 11 starts, 38 tackles, three passes defensed, released in offseason, signed two-year, $7M deal with Commanders, $1M gtd.

Nolan Carroll - signed in free agency, two starts, five tackles, released October 11th

Bene Benekwere - via trade with Bengals at roster cuts, 12 games played, two tackles, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery, signed one-year vet deal with Cardinals

Duke Thomas - signed in free agency, spent season on IR

Marquez White - drafted 216th overall (6th round), Practice squad

This season:


Byron Jones - moved from FS to CB, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Duke Thomas,
Marquez White, Donovan Olumba - UDFA Portland State, College stats: 11 starts, 21 tackles, seven passes defensed, two TFL’s, Charvarius Ward - UDFA Middle Tennessee State, College stats: 24 games, 74 tackles, 14 passes defensed, three TFL’s, two interceptions, one fumble recovery

All of last year’s rookies except for Marquez White played significant time with Xavier Woods splitting time at safety and cornerback. One of the first moves that was made this offseason was the hiring of Kris Richard, the legendary engineer of Seattle’s Legion of Boom, to take over the coaching duties of the secondary. We’ve since learned that Richard’s role will be much bigger than that as he will be the passing game coordinator and possibly be the defensive-coordinator-in-waiting.

The first move Richard made was taking Byron Jones, a man without a sure position, and moving him to cornerback. Richard likes his perimeter corners to have length and Jones has plenty. Jones is also one of the premier athletes on the roster who has the coverage abilities to take on big receivers and tight ends but also has the speed to stick with faster receivers. Richard felt that Jones was drafted as a cornerback and that’s where his best place will be going forward.

Chidobe Awuzie had a pretty strong rookie season though he had to deal with some nicks and bruises. Awuzie eventually took over a starting role last season and played well enough to keep it. He’s got a lot of qualities that Richard likes including desired length and sticky man coverage abilities. Awuzie was clearly one of the best cornerbacks the Cowboys had last season and showed improvements with each game he played.

The same could be said for Jourdan Lewis, who Richard calls an exception to his length rule. Lewis is sub-six feet but he has good length in his arms and was also a clear talent in his rookie season. Lewis was the best nickelback in college and the Cowboys will look to have him battle with Anthony Brown for the slot role this season. Brown has had the early advantage in the offseason program but Lewis has the talent to win the job. Brown had his struggles last season but he was also on the right side of a few calls last season, snagging a couple of picks. Brown does have speed on his side but also has the ability to play inside and out.

Duke Thomas had a position won on this roster last year with a solid preseason performance but he ended up on IR with a season ending injury. Duke will battle second-year player Marquez White, who’s quietly held his own at Florida State, allowing a completion percentage of 32.1 when thrown at. We’ll soon see if White can challenge Thomas for a fifth corner spot. However, he won’t be the only challenger as Charvarius Ward is a very interesting candidate too. Ward led his defense with 14 passes defensed last season. If he can continue to get his hands on the football, he’ll have a shot.

Conclusion: The Cowboys secondary is young and hungry, with the hiring of Richard, they’re in great hands. The cornerback position is quite strong with it’s top four and you can never have too many quality cornerbacks on the roster. There is no doubt that the Cowboys cornerback position is getting better than it has been over the past several seasons.

Continue reading...

Not sure about being better in 2018 as far as personel as I feel Lewis should be left alone until there's an issue there. But as long as awuzie, Lewis, and brown are here I'm not concerned one bit like I was with Carr at any point.

 

[ShiningStar]

Kris Richard, immediate upgrade. Shuffle the DBs around until you get the right fit. already building upon a better foundation. All the right moves so far.

 

[jazzcat22]

Kris Richard, immediate upgrade. Shuffle the DBs around until you get the right fit. already building upon a better foundation. All the right moves so far.

I think we will see a lot of different variations early in TC and PS games until they get the right mix. Though they already know 90% of what that is.
However I am sure many fans will go bonkers on the different line ups.

 

[charron]

I love seeing that these young guys are actually defending passes. Some of the old castaway vets would be in position but not able to defend the ball, these young kids are making plays. With Byron being added to cb we have a solid 4 man team. I liked Marquez coming out of college so i'm rooting for him to make this roster and get a few snaps.


Big shout out to McClay and the FO who drafted brown in the 6th then smart enough to let awuzie and lewis fall to us. Expert drafting!