gimmesix
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life
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Starters: Xavier Woods, George Iloka
Contenders: Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, Jameill Showers, Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson
The Cowboys have spent the past two seasons trying, unsuccessfully, to turn Jeff Heath into a strong safety. Heath gets maligned somewhat unfairly for this because he simply is not a strong safety and should never have been the heir apparent to Barry Church for the position. The reason Dallas tried to make that happen is because of Heath's play in a reserve role as a deep safety. He returned to playing that way in 2017 when they moved him to free safety after he started off a strong safety and played the run so poorly that the Cowboys tried to move Byron Jones to strong safety (to equally disastrous results).
With Xavier Woods starting at free safety in 2018, Heath returned to strong safety and was a little better at it but still missed too many tackles, took too many bad angles, etc. He has good size for the position and doesn't mind hitting, but Heath just isn't great in run support. So our two best safeties were free safety types, which is the reason that the safeties we've brought in this offseason are more SS types.
George Iloka is a lot like Church, a slower player who is stout against the run and uses his head in pass defense. He's not a perfect option at strong safety because his lack of speed can be exposed, but he's going to play the run stoutly and mostly be where he's supposed to be, which is why I believe that he will be the starter this year. I see Heath returning to a passing-down deep safety role in the nickel and dime, and being a special teams ace.
Kavon Frazier is also a stout special-teammer, which is why I think he has a spot secured unless someone like Darian Thompson can prove to be just as good on special teams but better on defense. While Frazier is a good run defender, his lack of speed hurts him in pass defense. I'm a bit surprised that Jameill Showers is still here. I don't think his preseason play at safety has been bad since he transitioned to the position, but I don't think he's more than a camp body at the position.
It doesn't seem likely that Donovan Wilson is going to be ready to challenge Iloka for the SS job this year. He's a big hitter who needs to learn to wrap up His coverage ability looks pretty good to me in the videos I've watched, with the ability to stick with receivers and pluck the ball away. However, he's knocked for stiffness and needs to learn to play with consistency. His ferocity on attacking the ball carrier will be fun to watch this preseason, but if he gets matched up on quick-cutting receivers or backs, it might not be pretty.
I didn't say much about Woods, but I really don't think Dallas has seen anything from him to this point where the Cowboys really are interested in replacing him. The team flirted with Earl Thomas because he's Earl Thomas, but otherwise has not really targeted the free safety position. Woods had a solid season to build on in his first year as the starting FS.
DRAFT PREDICTION: I think we'll keep five this year (Woods, Iloka, Heath, Frazier, Wilson). Thompson might be the wild card. The former third-round pick has some starting experience, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. He could possibily beat our Frazier or make the team if Wilson plays poorly.
Contenders: Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, Jameill Showers, Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson
The Cowboys have spent the past two seasons trying, unsuccessfully, to turn Jeff Heath into a strong safety. Heath gets maligned somewhat unfairly for this because he simply is not a strong safety and should never have been the heir apparent to Barry Church for the position. The reason Dallas tried to make that happen is because of Heath's play in a reserve role as a deep safety. He returned to playing that way in 2017 when they moved him to free safety after he started off a strong safety and played the run so poorly that the Cowboys tried to move Byron Jones to strong safety (to equally disastrous results).
With Xavier Woods starting at free safety in 2018, Heath returned to strong safety and was a little better at it but still missed too many tackles, took too many bad angles, etc. He has good size for the position and doesn't mind hitting, but Heath just isn't great in run support. So our two best safeties were free safety types, which is the reason that the safeties we've brought in this offseason are more SS types.
George Iloka is a lot like Church, a slower player who is stout against the run and uses his head in pass defense. He's not a perfect option at strong safety because his lack of speed can be exposed, but he's going to play the run stoutly and mostly be where he's supposed to be, which is why I believe that he will be the starter this year. I see Heath returning to a passing-down deep safety role in the nickel and dime, and being a special teams ace.
Kavon Frazier is also a stout special-teammer, which is why I think he has a spot secured unless someone like Darian Thompson can prove to be just as good on special teams but better on defense. While Frazier is a good run defender, his lack of speed hurts him in pass defense. I'm a bit surprised that Jameill Showers is still here. I don't think his preseason play at safety has been bad since he transitioned to the position, but I don't think he's more than a camp body at the position.
It doesn't seem likely that Donovan Wilson is going to be ready to challenge Iloka for the SS job this year. He's a big hitter who needs to learn to wrap up His coverage ability looks pretty good to me in the videos I've watched, with the ability to stick with receivers and pluck the ball away. However, he's knocked for stiffness and needs to learn to play with consistency. His ferocity on attacking the ball carrier will be fun to watch this preseason, but if he gets matched up on quick-cutting receivers or backs, it might not be pretty.
I didn't say much about Woods, but I really don't think Dallas has seen anything from him to this point where the Cowboys really are interested in replacing him. The team flirted with Earl Thomas because he's Earl Thomas, but otherwise has not really targeted the free safety position. Woods had a solid season to build on in his first year as the starting FS.
DRAFT PREDICTION: I think we'll keep five this year (Woods, Iloka, Heath, Frazier, Wilson). Thompson might be the wild card. The former third-round pick has some starting experience, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. He could possibily beat our Frazier or make the team if Wilson plays poorly.