News: PFT: Cowboys confident Jeff Heath can fill Barry Church’s shoes

[Sydla]

There's definitely a bit of confusion here.

So on one hand, this article is claiming they are confident in Heath being able to lock down the S opposite Jones. But yet Broaddus is saying based on his conversations with people around the org, that Awuzie could get some looks at S and possibly end up there.

 

[dallasdave]

Jason Garrett refers to Jeff Heath as one of the players “who always shows up” when the Cowboys give him chances. To that end, the Cowboys plan on giving Heath more chances this season. They have penciled in Heath as the starting strong safety, a spot left open by the free agent departure of Barry…http://youwillnotrackme2.net/b.gif?host=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com&blog=&post=2461602&subd=nbcprofootballtalk&ref=&feed=1

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Thanks for posting this news bot.

 

[dallasdave]

Absolutely! I'm all aboard the Heath train. This is going to be one hell of a camp/preseason, Bullflop. So many positions to keep an eye on.

Stay on that train all the way to the super bowl win this year for Dallas.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

There's definitely a bit of confusion here.

So on one hand, this article is claiming they are confident in Heath being able to lock down the S opposite Jones. But yet Broaddus is saying based on his conversations with people around the org, that Awuzie could get some looks at S and possibly end up there.

Not all nickel positions are created equal. The nickel/dime S is similar to the slot but closer to the WILL in responsibilities playing on the weakside. Keep in mind because of how the weakside DL lines up the WILL is schemed free.

SS plays with the TE and thus is likely to take on blocks from the TE and F, and H.

FS is free out in space but Jones is pretty cemented in that position.

Assuming they all can play its going to be tough to get all these DBs on the field even in dime. Brown and Jones are locks IMO but you have Scandrick, Awuzie, Heath, Lewis, Woods, Blanton, and Frazier fighting for playing time for at most 4 more spots. Plus you have dark horses like White and the UDFA types.

Does Heath retain the starting SS spot?
Does Scandrick start in the base?
Can Lewis beat out Scandrick as the slot corner?
Can Awuzie win the starting job outside?
How good at S are Blanton, Woods, and Frazier?

TC needs to hurry up and get here.

 

[jamesdojr]

So pumped about this guy. He will be the biggest playmaker in our secondary this year. From big hits to picked passes.

Jason Garrett refers to Jeff Heath as one of the players “who always shows up” when the Cowboys give him chances. To that end, the Cowboys plan on giving Heath more chances this season. They have penciled in Heath as the starting strong safety, a spot left open by the free agent departure of Barry…http://youwillnotrackme2.net/b.gif?host=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com&blog=&post=2461602&subd=nbcprofootballtalk&ref=&feed=1

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[Verdict]

We have been over paying for average talent for far too long. Church wasn't anything special. It wasn't like he was a black hole void of talent, but let's not pretend he was the end all, be all for our defense. You can get by with a few Churches on a team, the players around him are better than him, but you cant have a team full of guys like him and expect to get very far.

I think Heath will be an upgrade over Church at a cheaper price. That's a win/win for the organization.

 

[conner01]

I have little doubt Heath can be as good a player as Barry Church.

He is certainly a much better athlete

 

[haleyrules]

We have been over paying for average talent for far too long. Church wasn't anything special. It wasn't like he was a black hole void of talent, but let's not pretend he was the end all, be all for our defense. You can get by with a few Churches on a team, the players around him are better than him, but you cant have a team full of guys like him and expect to get very far.

I think Heath will be an upgrade over Church at a cheaper price. That's a win/win for the organization.

Thats improving now. Thank God!! The okd guard is gone and the idiotic contracts with them. New Era in big D. The stiffs are gone or going!!Excellent.

 

[haleyrules]

Stay on that train all the way to the super bowl win this year for Dallas.

You are the Man, Dave!!

 

[big dog cowboy]

Thanks for posting this news bot.

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[dallasdave]

You are the Man, Dave!!

Thank you, Thank you very MUCH

 

[Rockdoc]

so here is the confusing thing.
if Jones is the best safety at covering TEs how can he be labeled the FS.
this is the thing that has made our defense difficult to discuss.
and a big reason why we werent good covering.
we had wilcox or church playing the FS position when Jones was covering the TE
that was a horrible idea and why we moved away from wilcox and church.
Heath and Awuzie allow us to do what we really need.
more a true FS and let Jones take the TE out of the game.

 

[Hailmary]

Has the body of a F

I thought he was a FS in college, but after checking it out, you're absolutely right. He is a SS according to DC.com.

Bleacher Report lists him as a FS, as do a couple other sites, but they're wrong. Far more rlist him him as a SS.

Thanks, Bullflop

Has the body of a FS but hits like a SS. Versatile.

 

[Proximo]

They are very change adverse. .

This statement may have been true about the Cowboys organization a few+ years ago, but it's definitely not true now.

Obviously not every position is going to be a clear open competition every training camp, but we've seen enough players come and go and lose jobs to other players that I think it's a little silly to call us "change adverse" at this point.

Garrett has emphasized and stated on multiple occasions how much they promote healthy competition within the team.

And there are so many recent examples to support it that I'm not even going to waste my time listing them out. We are not "change adverse" anymore and haven't been for a little while now.

 

[casmith07]

I am too. Church was solid. Heath can be that and maybe a little more.

Heath at least intercepted the ball a few times. We'll see how the reports look in TC.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

so here is the confusing thing.
if Jones is the best safety at covering TEs how can he be labeled the FS.
this is the thing that has made our defense difficult to discuss.
and a big reason why we werent good covering.
we had wilcox or church playing the FS position when Jones was covering the TE
that was a horrible idea and why we moved away from wilcox and church.
Heath and Awuzie allow us to do what we really need.
more a true FS and let Jones take the TE out of the game.

He mostly does it in the RZ and he is hardly the best.

 

[gimmesix]

The one play where he got manned up in space he got smoked and had given up 5+ yards of separation before the route was 15 yards downfield. A bunch of plays where he was used to double over the top or play underneath don't mean much to me.

Archer's basis was he was a "calming" presence. Personally, I want guys that are a plus in coverage and for my defense to play with an edge.

At the end of the day when Church went down for four games we started getting more plays from the position from Heath's increased role. Church is not a difference maker and easily replaced.

We see what we want to see.

 

[Jerryrage]

This guy is garbage.. Wait until he gets burned and this entire site will want him gone.

 

[gimmesix]

Assuming they all can play its going to be tough to get all these DBs on the field even in dime. Brown and Jones are locks IMO but you have Scandrick, Awuzie, Heath, Lewis, Woods, Blanton, and Frazier fighting for playing time for at most 4 more spots. Plus you have dark horses like White and the UDFA types.

Does Heath retain the starting SS spot?
Does Scandrick start in the base?
Can Lewis beat out Scandrick as the slot corner?
Can Awuzie win the starting job outside?
How good at S are Blanton, Woods, and Frazier?

TC needs to hurry up and get here.

I agree that Brown and Jones are the only absolutes, although it would really surprise me if Scandrick isn't one of our top three corners at least for the first part of the season. I think he will end up starting, but it really depends on if he's the player he was before his injury. Last year, he certainly wasn't in his first year back.