Jeff Heath Question

[BrAinPaiNt]

When Heath is mentioned the Superman capes just seem to come out of the wood works, kinda like a fan favorite. If you disagree then cool

http://i18.***BLOCKED***/albums/b133/BrAinPaiNt/horsehockey.jpg

 

[davey999]

They must be seeing something we don't. He is an absolute liability on D and is only an injury away from being a starter. It's pretty scary.

 

[xwalker]

Can anyone help me understand why this guy is still on the roster? He was literally the source of the overwhelming majority of big plays against us through the air last year. Perhaps some of that was him getting thrown into the fire as a rookie last year. I get that possibility... I just can't see where there has been much in the way of improvement. I feel like we have a bonafide scrub at that spot and it irks me. I'm having visions of Kaepernick attacking his area all game on Sunday. Am I just overreacting? ? ?

1. He has the best measureables of the Safeties on the team.

2. Heath has the 2nd most NFL starts of the Safeties on the roster.

3. Coming into training camp many people hated Heath. Many of the same people were highly optimistic of Jakar Hamilton. If Hamilton had been forced to start as a UDFA rookie, these people would have been making a thread like this about him while looking forward to seeing Heath.

 

[The Natural]

http://i18.***BLOCKED***/albums/b133/BrAinPaiNt/horsehockey.jpg

k.

 

[conner01]

He's big and fast. I think his ST ability is one reason he is still on the team, the other is his potential for being coached on how to take good angles and cover better. The coaches know way more than you or I about his development. If the coaches are thinking he will break through this year and "get it" then so be it, otherwise I highly doubt they would have kept him on.

i don't see why fans don't get that. sounds like those who wanted us to get rid of scandrick early on. the kid was a rokkie and was not ready to start but had to because of injuries. he was one of our best special teams players and while he still neeeds to develope, he has some tools you want in a player. if we cut everyone who had a bad rookie season, especially those drafted later and needing deveopment you would have cut a lot of players who developed into good players. wonder just how well romo would have done if he had been thrown in his rookie season

 

[jazzcat22]

When Bill Bates first played, he did not have all the measurables, and people was acting like what the heck is this guy doing. He's slow, late hits, etc.
I couldn't imagine what an internet forum would have said back then.
But he turned out pretty darn well.

Not saying Heath,who has the measurables will be Bates, and bates wasn't even the best DB, but I will wait and see what happens, and glad he has the chance.
He has the attitude that is for sure. And that goes a long way in the NFL. Ask Mr. Bates!

 

[cmoney23]

Can anyone help me understand why this guy is still on the roster? He was literally the source of the overwhelming majority of big plays against us through the air last year. Perhaps some of that was him getting thrown into the fire as a rookie last year. I get that possibility... I just can't see where there has been much in the way of improvement. I feel like we have a bonafide scrub at that spot and it irks me. I'm having visions of Kaepernick attacking his area all game on Sunday. Am I just overreacting? ? ?

COMPLETELY AGREE! I have no idea how we let some of the guys walk that did but kept this scrub around.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

No comparison between Bates and Heath. Bates was an unathletic over-achiever.

Heath is much more athletic and other than that up to this point hasn't done much of anything of significance... Not saying he won't, but up to this point he's a less than a JAG.

 

[John813]

1. He has the best measureables of the Safeties on the team.

2. Heath has the 2nd most NFL starts of the Safeties on the roster.

3. Coming into training camp many people hated Heath. Many of the same people were highly optimistic of Jakar Hamilton. If Hamilton had been forced to start as a UDFA rookie, these people would have been making a thread like this about him while looking forward to seeing Heath.

Truth.

And, yea, the coaches see more than we do. They also get to see Heath in the film room, weight room, and the practice field.
They could see enough to possibly try to develop him and improve his technique and in the mean time he excels at STs.
I dreaded seeing Heath out there last year. Was downright bad at times. However, he should of never seen the football field other than on special teams. Expecting an UDFA safety to play well/average, when there's no pass rush is setting the bar too high IMO.

 

[jazzcat22]

No comparison between Bates and Heath. Bates was an unathletic over-achiever.

Heath is much more athletic and other than that up to this point hasn't done much of anything of significance... Not saying he won't, but up to this point he's a less than a JAG.

That's what I meant, he needs time, as Bates did too. I wasn't comparing them as to abilities of being athletic.
But to what people thought, or at least I did when Bates first came onto the team. Then he made some bone headed plays. But after a while became a key, core player. Even though mostly on ST's at first.

 

[Flinger]

Only on CZ is a rookie expected to be a Pro Bowler in year 1 and, if not, to be immediately labeled as unable to improve, worthless and should be cut immediately in view of the CZ's superior knowledge and understanding of all the players that should be on the roster - while, furthermore, using this distorted perspective to rationalize why the ______ (fill in the blank with Owner, GM, Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, etc.) is incompetent.

lol

 

[Craig]

A rookie db on a team that generated 0 pass rush struggled. Hard to believe.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

A rookie db on a team that generated 0 pass rush struggled. Hard to believe.

And it wasn't like he was a prime draft pick either.

The kid was a free agent.

To expect him to come in and play FS like Woodson is... well someone is out of touch with reality.

 

[Bleu Star]

Honestly, if you don't understand at this point, I don't think anyone on this board is going to be able to show you the light.

He's a scrub. I understand that clearly.

 

[Muhast]

I figured the signing of Spillman would be the end of Heath, as ST is Spillman's forte. But they chose to keep Heath. My guess is that Jakar Hamilton will boot Heath off the team in 4 weeks.

 

[Wolfpack]

For me, at least, the issue isn't with Heath. I hope he has a great season and turns into an All-Pro safety, wins Special Team player of the year or what ever award he can. The second year for him should be a big improvement.

The frustration is that the Front office trouts out a weak class of young safeties and just hopes that it all works out. They love to draft the guys with the good measurables but those guys are often projects that need time to understand, in this case, the complex NFL level defenses. They cut vet Will Allen to roll with the Heath project as the main backup to the JJ Project, both of whom would struggle all year. It seems that that was a mistake on the part of the brain trust here….they always just HOPE things will work out, they never have a plan for injuries or have a larger plan to develop players slowly. This year is the exact same thing.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Can anyone help me understand why this guy is still on the roster? He was literally the source of the overwhelming majority of big plays against us through the air last year. Perhaps some of that was him getting thrown into the fire as a rookie last year. I get that possibility... I just can't see where there has been much in the way of improvement. I feel like we have a bonafide scrub at that spot and it irks me. I'm having visions of Kaepernick attacking his area all game on Sunday. Am I just overreacting? ? ?

Perhaps someday in the future there will be a cure for Cowboys Backup Safety Infatuation (CBSI). But, maybe there just is no cure for it with the likes of Matt Johnson and Jeff Heath.

 

[Zman5]

I heard on one of the Cowboys radio shows, the players are saying people should lay off of this guy. They said, he was the only one who played almost every snap last year when he started. Only time he wasn't on the field was when the offense was on the field.

 

[xwalker]

For me, at least, the issue isn't with Heath. I hope he has a great season and turns into an All-Pro safety, wins Special Team player of the year or what ever award he can. The second year for him should be a big improvement.

The frustration is that the Front office trouts out a weak class of young safeties and just hopes that it all works out. They love to draft the guys with the good measurables but those guys are often projects that need time to understand, in this case, the complex NFL level defenses. They cut vet Will Allen to roll with the Heath project as the main backup to the JJ Project, both of whom would struggle all year. It seems that that was a mistake on the part of the brain trust here….they always just HOPE things will work out, they never have a plan for injuries or have a larger plan to develop players slowly. This year is the exact same thing.

I was a fan of cutting Will Allen. They might as well give young players as many snaps as possible when the alternative is a low level veteran.

For many years, the Cowboys tended to keep too many stopgap veterans which minimized the chance that a young player would develop.

The focus of this season should be as much about developing talent and it is trying to win. If they wanted to go all in to win, they would have kept Ware/Hatcher or signed some other high cost free agents. They could have made plenty of cap space with restructures if that was the goal.

 

[Idgit]

I heard on one of the Cowboys radio shows, the players are saying people should lay off of this guy. They said, he was the only one who played almost every snap last year when he started. Only time he wasn't on the field was when the offense was on the field.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing that tidbit.

I've stuck up for Heath quite a bit in some threads. Not that I think he didn't give up a ton of plays. He's had his moments, though. The DET game last year was a good example. It was a homecoming game for him, and he both made some really nice plays up until that 4th quarter deep ball where he got outmanned/outjumped by CJ.