Byron Jones and Landon Collins

[Don Corleone]

He's been a top 2-4 player on the defense. The coaches love him. PFF loves him. He only looks like a bust to fans whose only measure of DB play is INTs.

This will be his first year playing safety in obvious passing situations, by the way. Many who bash him don't seem to realize that. I'm excited to see what he can do, or if someone will step up and take that role.

I will watch him defending passes while cringing. He looks unnatural on the football field.

 

[viman96]

Many here did not want Collins during the draft and did not think much of his coverage skills

 

[ConceptCoop]

Hate the Giants with a passion but Collins is just one heck of a football player, a real game changer. Probably the best defensive player in our division. No comparison at all between him and Byron, we reached trying to make a Belichick type pick.

We didn't reach. The league was simply wrong about Collins.

I think he is the best defensive player in the division. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone who comes close.

 

[stilltheguru88]

Jones has been very solid. He's the best man-to-man cover guy on the roster. He's just not a high-level ballhawk.

What?

 

[The Natural]

We didn't reach. The league was simply wrong about Collins.

I think he is the best defensive player in the division. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone who comes close.

Where do you think Byron Jones gets drafted if not for his broad jump?

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

They don't really play similar positions. Byron plays a ton of single high and they line him up really deep. Like twenty yards off the line. It's a trade off because they didn't give up a lot of big plays but it leaves the field open underneath. It also takes Byron out of a lot of plays. Career wise neither of his seasons have resembled the other. Year one he was the best man cover guy on TEs in the league. He was asked to do too much and it backfired a little. Last season he stayed deep a lot and was honestly the number one reason their secondary looked respectable. But when asked to do other things he wasn't as successful. Two weird hard to define seasons so far but if he can put the best of both seasons together he'll be elite.

I will say he's still more athlete than ballplayer right now. He's got no feel for his zone but he can cover enough ground to still be effective.

 

[ConceptCoop]

What?

What?

 

[ConceptCoop]

Where do you think Byron Jones gets drafted if not for his broad jump?

I have no idea. But his being a world class athlete is aboslutley part of the equation. The Cowboys have been the best drafting team in the league the last 7 or 8 years and made a solid pick in Jones.

 

[stilltheguru88]

What?

The same guy who gets beat by tight ends and moved to safety for the fact that he got beat too much in man coverage vs receivers? That Byron Jones?

 

[The Natural]

I have no idea. But his being a world class athlete is aboslutley part of the equation. The Cowboys have been the best drafting team in the league the last 7 or 8 years and made a solid pick in Jones.

Yea see that's the thing he doesn't move like a world class athlete in pads.

 

[CF74]

Jones is a finesse safety, probably should just play corner.

Having said that we've been needing a Collins type safety/enforcer for years...

 

[GusTheo]

People are actually calling Byron Jones a bust? Landon Collins is the exception, not the rule.

Man some of guys really need to lay off the pipe.

 

[ConceptCoop]

The same guy who gets beat by tight ends and moved to safety for the fact that he got beat too much in man coverage vs receivers? That Byron Jones?

Every cover guys get beat, so the fact that you can point to those plays means nothing. Last year Brandon Marshall worked Richard Sherman silly--he's still an elite cover guy.

Jones is a beast when it comes to covering TEs and bigger WRs and is the best man-to-man cover guy on the roster. Last season (I'm pretty sure it was) Garcon was getting the better of Claiborne, and the Cowboys flexed Jones on him to slow him down.

He was moved to safety to cover a need, not because he can't cover WRs.

 

[stilltheguru88]

Every cover guy gets beat, so the fact that you can point to those plays means nothing. Last year Brandon Marshall worked Richard Sherman silly--he's still an elite cover guy.

Jones is a beast when it comes to covering TEs and bigger WRs and is the best man-to-man cover guy on the roster. Last season (I'm pretty sure it was) Garcon was getting the better of Claiborne, and the Cowboys flexed Jones on him to slow him down.

He was moved to safety to cover a need, not because he can't cover WRs.

Ok I'm not arguing this. I'd love for Byron to prove me wrong but so far he's all hype.

 

[Don Corleone]

People are actually calling Byron Jones a bust? Landon Collins is the exception, not the rule.

Man some of guys really need to lay off the pipe.

For what we've gotten for the investment, he's a bust. He's solid 3rd round value. He shouldn't have been picked in the first round.

 

[ConceptCoop]

Ok I'm not arguing this. I'd love for Byron to prove me wrong but so far he's all hype.

The coaches love him, the announcers love him, his teammates love him, our secondary improved when he moved to safetey, PFF loves him...but if you say so.

 

[Zordon]

Hate the Giants with a passion but Collins is just one heck of a football player, a real game changer. Probably the best defensive player in our division. No comparison at all between him and Byron, we reached trying to make a Belichick type pick.

he's a tone setter. we don't have anyone like that - not even Lee. this franchise is so suspect when it comes to evaluating defensive players.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

That wasn't busted coverage. We were playing zone--and he respected his zone. That's on the passrush. If you play zone and give AR time, he's going to beat it.

Collins is on another level, but it's not realistic to hold Jones to those standards just because Collins was picked after him. Let's put it this way: If Taco turns into the Byron Jones of DEs, we'll all be very happy with him.

The entire league missed on Landon Collins. If anyone realized how good he was going to be, he'd have gone top 5.

He tracked the TE across the field and to the sideline. He turned to look for the ball and lost track of him. That is not respecting his zone. It was looking for the ball when the ball was not in the air and giving Rodgers an easy read.

It was poor instincts. If Rodgers was going to make the throw it would have been coming as he reached the sideline not after. He let the TE leak upfield.

 

[JohnsKey19]

NC = No Contest.

 

[jblaze2004]

i do believe and wonder how much better Jones probably could be if he stayed at Corner. But i hope he turns the corner and become a game changing Free Safety. I just hope we don't try to turn chido into a safety like we did jones. Don't know why we like to try and turn corners into safeties so much. Draft a established safety and let him play safety. Draft a corner than let him play corner lol.