DC: Questions & Answers: Long-Term Future Looks Murky At Safety

[jobberone]

Questions & Answers: Long-Term Future Looks Murky At Safety
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 4:50 PM CDT

By David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer @HelmanDC

IRVING, Texas – If the Cowboys has to play a game this weekend, there prospects at the safety spot would look just fine.

The roster currently boasts three experienced safeties, not to mention an ultra-talented youngster who showed an aptitude for the position.

Things become murkier when the big picture comes into play. Both of the Cowboys’ starting safeties from the past two seasons are soon-to-be free agents, and they haven’t yet decided where to play last year’s first-round draft pick, Byron Jones.

It’s a position that could use an upgrade, and the Cowboys could do that this spring during the 2016 NFL Draft. If not, there will be at least a few concerns in the long-term.

As things stand here in mid-April, here’s how the position breaks down:

Barry Church

What We Know: It’s a forgotten fact amid the wreckage that was the 2015 season, but Church actually ended his season a week early with a broken arm. That was way back on Dec. 27, though, and Church is fully healed for the start of the offseason program. Church has been solid but inconsistent during his three-year stretch as a starter. He’s a two-time defensive captain and boasts the intangibles the Cowboys love in their locker room. His performance has been steady, as he’s averaged eight tackles per game in his three years as a starter. Having said that, it’s fair to say at this point that Church’s value comes primarily in the box, given that he’s proven limited in pass coverage and boasts just three career interceptions.

Still Need To Know: Is all of that enough to warrant another contract in Dallas? The four-year contract extension Church signed expires after this season. He’s good if not great, and he’s respected enough in the locker room that he’s been named a captain multiple times. He also fits the bill of what Jason Garrett is looking for when he says “right kind of guy.” Does that mean the Cowboys will seek to keep Church around, or will they look to upgrade the position when the veteran hits free agency?

J.J. Wilcox

What We Know: It’s been an up-and-down run for Wilcox, ****snip****

Still Need To Know: Just like Church, Wilcox is out of contract after the 2016 season. ****snip****


Jeff Heath

What We Know: It says a lot about the 2016 Dallas Cowboys defense that Heath played sparingly at safety – just 19 percent of defensive snaps – and led the team in interceptions. ****snip****

Still Need To Know: Does the new contract merit more playing time on defense? ****snip****


Byron Jones

What We Know: More than anything else, we know that Jones is versatile. ****snip****

Still Need To Know: Whatever we might guess is going to happen, no one in the Cowboys organization has been willing to confirm that Jones will play safety in his second season. ****snip****

Read

 

[jobberone]

Good read. So what's the answer(s)?

Draft a safety.

 

[GroundZero1970]

You could say the same about RB

 

[Vinnie2u]

It would be nice to come out of this draft with talent QB, Safety, DE and DT

 

[pgreptom]

You could say the same about RB

Ehh. McFadden would have hit 1.7k projected over 16 games.. and add Morris. Byron can be a stud but we know what we have at RB. You don't even know what you have with Byron yet and he's your best player back there. I think you know what you have at RB.

 

[iceberg]

Good read. So what's the answer(s)?

Draft a safety.

No. Around here we draft a cb and MAKE them a safety.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Long term looks murky? Short term looks murky.

 

[erod]

Byron Jones and Jalen Ramsey

Done.

 

[LandryFan]

Questions & Answers: Long-Term Future Looks Murky At Safety
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 4:50 PM CDT

By David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer @HelmanDC

IRVING, Texas – If the Cowboys has to play a game this weekend, there prospects at the safety spot would look just fine.

I know it's small potatoes, but when a professional journalist starts off an article with mistakes like these, it's really difficult to take him/her seriously. I guess editing is a thing of the past.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I'm a believer that you try to lower your price on corners and up your price on safeties. The league still pays corners more than safeties. But, I think the safety is required to do more. And if you can get corners that can play zone, you can solve most of your issues if you have 2 quality safeties.

That's why I would look to put Byron at FS. I like the Heath re-signing, but he's a rotational safety to help out against 2 TE sets and 4 WR sets along with ST play.

I think the big thing is getting rid of Henderson. He showed me nothing here and there just comes a time when a new coach would likely do some good.





YR

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

“I was told yesterday the Cowboys were seeking some advice on [Jalen] Ramsey and got an opinion that they thought was going to give them a pretty good report. Turns out it wasn’t…at all,” Eatman revealed during this week’s episode of the Cowboys Break on the team’s official site. “I’m not saying their saying ‘oh, now we’re not taking him’. But they called someone up. Said ‘Hey, what do you think about this guy?’ And it wasn’t glowing.”

When fellow co-host of the show, Bryan Broaddus, asked Eatman if the call was in reference to Ramsey playing at the cornerback position, he responded:

“Yes, as far as him playing corner.”
​

read the full article https://thelandryhat.com/2016/04/20/eatman-cowboys-bad-report-jalen-ramsey/

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I have never been in the camp that thinks Ramsey is a better Corner prospect then Safety. If that were the case, I think FS would have played him there. JMO.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I have never been in the camp that thinks Ramsey is a better Corner prospect then Safety. If that were the case, I think FS would have played him there. JMO.

Listening to the draft show enough you can pretty much find out that both Broaddus and Brugler thinks the Cowboys want Jalen as a CB and not a safety. They have had to talk to someone to get that.

That is why that report above is so interesting when they were talking on Cowboys Break yesterday.

Broaddus and Brugler both think he is a better S than CB but the cowboys view him at CB and Broaddus said that they would start him as CB and it was one of only a few times he said it like he knew it for sure where other times they can of say they think the cowboys this or the cowboys that.

 

[Kolemmitt]

“I was told yesterday the Cowboys were seeking some advice on [Jalen] Ramsey and got an opinion that they thought was going to give them a pretty good report. Turns out it wasn’t…at all,” Eatman revealed during this week’s episode of the Cowboys Break on the team’s official site. “I’m not saying their saying ‘oh, now we’re not taking him’. But they called someone up. Said ‘Hey, what do you think about this guy?’ And it wasn’t glowing.”

When fellow co-host of the show, Bryan Broaddus, asked Eatman if the call was in reference to Ramsey playing at the cornerback position, he responded:

“Yes, as far as him playing corner.”
​

read the full article https://thelandryhat.com/2016/04/20/eatman-cowboys-bad-report-jalen-ramsey/

I am really warming up to the idea of dropping down a few spots (if we can find a trade partner) getting Hargreaves or Shaq and then getting Joseph and the best available DL or CB in the 2nd.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Listening to the draft show enough you can pretty much find out that both Broaddus and Brugler thinks the Cowboys want Jalen as a CB and not a safety. They have had to talk to someone to get that.

That is why that report above is so interesting when they were talking on Cowboys Break yesterday.

Broaddus and Brugler both think he is a better S than CB but the cowboys view him at CB and Broaddus said that they would start him as CB and it was one of only a few times he said it like he knew it for sure where other times they can of say they think the cowboys this or the cowboys that.

To be honest, I never have understood this BP. I think Jones could be an excellent CB. He just needs to gain more experience and keep working on his game. You can't coach his physical abilities and he makes plays, when breaking on balls and actually playing the ball in the air that suggest to me that he can be a very, very good as a CB. Could he be a better Safety? It's possible but the position value is the thing you don't know. Most teams value CB over Safety but in our scheme, it could be Safety so it's hard to say.

To me, Ramsey has always been the best Safety prospect in this class and really, since the Berry, Thomas draft. He doesn't have that sudden reaction that I think a top CB needs and I suspect it's more of a thought process thing rather then a physical thing. Ramsey has all of the natural gifts to be very quick but you have to be able to have that mental thing to make those reactions and he may not be that guy. He's more of a straight line speed guy who can get to angles. When he sees it develop, he gets there and he is an excellent tackler.

I don't know, just my arm chair, none expert, don't get paid to evaluate players opinion.

 

[garyv]

Think Karl Joesph in the 2nd Round !!!

 

[KingintheNorth]

Karl Joseph or Keanu Neal is a step in the right direction.