Evaluating JJ Wilcox

[BAZ]

A RB still learning how to play safety.

His only advantage is that he has the most athleticism among the "safeties" we have on the roster.

Whoa did you just say he used to be a running back....

 

[jobberone]

Im guessing our 3rd down defense will look much different than last years defenses.

I like JJ and Church but I don't feel like they compliment each other as a tandem.


I want a true centerfielder but the Cowboys want 2 in the box guys for some reason. Maybe Byron Jones changes that.

I don't think the want two box guys but two interchangeable safeties good at both. The best safety combos have that or at least one cover safety. But I'm not in their head.

 

[casmith07]

Tons of misinformation in this thread.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I don't think Wilcox will ever be anything more than a serviceable safety. He appears to lack the intangibles that distinguish great safeties from average ones. I could be wrong.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Broaddus has decided that man coverage in one on one drills early in camp is how we should evaluate Wilcox. Twitter, various mailbags, talk shows and the board are inundated with doubting on him now.

I dunno about that. Last year they didn't put their S in man coverage very often but when they did it was almost always Wilcox and not Church. He did okay at it. He won some he lost some. He had the vast majority of his snaps playing as the deep middle though. The big problem I had with Wilcox's play last year was the pursuit angles he took coming up and overrunning the play outside. In the scrimmage, the offense tried running those types of games outside and he was meeting Joseph and Johnson at the edge.

Last year we were good at containing the deep ball with Wilcox as our FS. He gave up a throw against GB but people seem to forget he was all over the field against Detroit and for the year our long pass numbers were much improved. Towards the end of the year I thought he was doing a better job driving on throws with anticipation and making plays.

I heard about his foot problem in the Spring and didn't notice any problem with his stride. I don't get the angst.

I waa discouraged by reports ue was being very grabby early in TC. Im hopping its just an "early in TC thing" and not regression

 

[RS12]

I don't think Wilcox will ever be anything more than a serviceable safety. He appears to lack the intangibles that distinguish great safeties from average ones. I could be wrong.

Doubt it.

 

[Bluestang]

Broaddus also admitted that the scout in him tries to compare past/present players to the best he's scouted. So as far as safeties go, he compares players to Woody.

I do recall him being negative about Wilcox because he has been too grabby/handsy on the 1v1 drills. However, I agree with him that it is concerning at this point. Scouts/coaches want to see players develop and when they see veterans go backwards and start to not believe in their abilities it is concerning.

Wilcox can play CF all day long and be OK, but if he could develop into a player that can cover 1v1 then it opens up the defensive playbook and allows Marinelli to play all facets of the scheme rather than just playing certain coverages that protects the safeties from single coverage.

These drills are filmed and watched every day of camp. It allows the coaches to evaluate their players and make educated decisions on what their limitations might be.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I want a true centerfielder but the Cowboys want 2 in the box guys for some reason.

I will never, ever, understand what the thinking is behind that philosophy but it drives me absolutely crazy.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Broaddus also admitted that the scout in him tries to compare past/present players to the best he's scouted. So as far as safeties go, he compares players to Woody.

I do recall him being negative about Wilcox because he has been too grabby/handsy on the 1v1 drills. However, I agree with him that it is concerning at this point. Scouts/coaches want to see players develop and when they see veterans go backwards and start to not believe in their abilities it is concerning.

Wilcox can play CF all day long and be OK, but if he could develop into a player that can cover 1v1 then it opens up the defensive playbook and allows Marinelli to play all facets of the scheme rather than just playing certain coverages that protects the safeties from single coverage.

These drills are filmed and watched every day of camp. It allows the coaches to evaluate their players and make educated decisions on what their limitations might be.

I am not saying that it isn't something the coaches should address. I'm just saying that when evaluating FS, 1v1 drill performance isn't the most important evaluation much less a basis for instant evaluation. After the scrimmage it's a moot point because he looked around the ball a lot and I didn't see any grabby grab.

 

[jobberone]

Aaargh. I hate it when grabby grab happens.

I am Mini Minion Wolverine!

Pressure and CBs rule with Minions.

 

[School]

I will never, ever, understand what the thinking is behind that philosophy but it drives me absolutely crazy.

I don't think it's their philosophy. More of making do with what they have considering the dearth of good safeties, especially the much ballyhooed centerfielder types.

That's why you have the Cowboys taking a chance on a converted RB in the 3rd round. Green Bay did essentially the same thing this year when they picked a baseball player-turned-safety in the 2nd round who only played one year of football at a smaller school, and they intend to play him at corner.

They also picked a corner in the first round that they intend to play at safety. Philly drafted a safety in the second round they want to play at corner. Teams are putting a premium on secondary guys who can fluidly move from position to position. That seems to be the new philosophy among many teams in the league now, including the Cowboys.

 

[AbeBeta]

Think he is a SS.

He's not a fit in our D.

We need a FS who is a competent tackler and a good cover guy. I think we'll use him in base but Jones will play there in the 5 and 10. Unless Jones takes one of the CB jobs

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

He's not Church, JJ simply can't bring the wood like a real SS and he can't cover like a true FS but stop short of calling Wilcox fragile or a stiff.

 

[stilltheguru88]

He's not Church, JJ simply can't bring the wood like a real SS and he can't cover like a true FS but stop short of calling Wilcox fragile or a stiff.

This is my main problem. He was so hyped regarding his pyschicality but I don't see it. He was billed as an enforcer type and I don't see that either. Go back and look at the Commander brawl. He was the closest to Garcon and didn't do anything. Scandrick ran halfway across the field to choke Garcon up. Get him outta here!

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Now he isn't physical? Church has better short area explosion but he is not better breaking down on the run. Soft safeties get exposed like Heath and Ball did very recently. Wilcox doesn't get punked like that.

He's 24 years old. He is likely to continue to improve.

Things are up. My man Ken Bishop is working with the 1s and 2s with all the injuries and looking good. He's been using a sweet swim move. Here he is dishing it on Fred.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

I would love to see jones play most of the snaps at fs in our base 4-3

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Whoa did you just say he used to be a running back....

Ga So finest. he played all over the field if i remember correctly...last year @db, some wr

 

[jobberone]

I don't think it's their philosophy. More of making do with what they have considering the dearth of good safeties, especially the much ballyhooed centerfielder types.

That's why you have the Cowboys taking a chance on a converted RB in the 3rd round. Green Bay did essentially the same thing this year when they picked a baseball player-turned-safety in the 2nd round who only played one year of football at a smaller school, and they intend to play him at corner.

They also picked a corner in the first round that they intend to play at safety. Philly drafted a safety in the second round they want to play at corner. Teams are putting a premium on secondary guys who can fluidly move from position to position. That seems to be the new philosophy among many teams in the league now, including the Cowboys.

Landry was doing this long time ago. And he would pick up big older CBs at the end of their career and get what he could at CB then move them to safety or just put them at safety. He moved some of his guys as well.

With the advent of the Nickel, Big Nickel, Dime, Big Dime, Quarter, and 50 we need versatile DBs and LBs. We even do it on the DL.

 

[jobberone]

This is my main problem. He was so hyped regarding his pyschicality but I don't see it. He was billed as an enforcer type and I don't see that either. Go back and look at the Commander brawl. He was the closest to Garcon and didn't do anything. Scandrick ran halfway across the field to choke Garcon up. Get him outta here!

That happens to them all at times. Wilcox, by and large, is the better SS and is becoming the better cover safety. He plays more high coverage but that's because he's better at it than Church physically. They both play the box.

Neither is the ball hawking type of safety everyone covets.

 

[xwalker]

I waa discouraged by reports ue was being very grabby early in TC. Im hopping its just an "early in TC thing" and not regression

Consider the source. Broaddus. All Broaddus has to see is a player doing something once and he'll report that the player is having problems. If a receiver drops a ball while Broaddus is watching the receivers, then he'll report that player is having problems with drops.

I've been at training camp practices and I would read reports from Broaddus that didn't match what really happened. He is a guy that played football once, not a journalist and he struggles with what to write about; therefore, he literally just writes what he sees even if it's only one play.

Wilcox didn't have issues with holding last year.

Based on watching the DBs vs Receivers in TC, it appears the coaches are pushing the DB to be very physical. Also, Byron Jones said as much in an interview.