Safety: Jeff Heath?

[Cebrin]

If he shows something this year and continues to improve onward, I guarantee many fans will forget his rookie season. Lots of us have a short memory when it comes to player performance, and I'm guilty of this too. It's all about "what have you done for me lately?"

For instance, Scandrick seems to be the talk of the town lately, but I can recall personally being pissed at him many times early in his career.

This is very true and I'm guilty. Scandrick has really started to blossom. He's on the verge of a breakout to me.

 

[lostar2009]

Isn't the safety tandem church and Matt Johnson?

If MJ can stay healthy, one hit he is out.

 

[CF74]

What can I say about Jeff Heath that hasn't already been said with plenty of profanity all last season and this off-season? Most fans despise him for giving up so many plays when he was right there in position to make the play and didn't. Most fans seem to think he's just a slow, non-athletic JAG who took advantage of a depleted position and held it because the idiot coaches favored him for some reason.

Here's something to consider. Higher draft picks Johnson and Wilcox may have more talent on paper, and everyone is hoping these guys step up to improve what we had with Heath last year. But consider this....Heath isn't a veteran journeyman who has maxed out. He's not a guy that is what he is and you know what you have in him and just want a youngster to do better.

Last season Jeff Heath was an undrafted and underrated rookie free agent out of little Saginaw Valley State, division II. We've had plenty of draft choices over the years about whom we said, "he will need 2-3 years to catch up to the competition. This kid isn't a punk....at his pro day, he ran a 4.40 forty, bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times, had a 37 inch vertical, with 10 and 20 yard splits of 1.59 and 2.7. In high school he kicked a 49 yard FG to win a regional title; in college, he was 2nd team all conference in 2011 and first team in 2012.

In 6 starts for the Cowboys' woeful defense, he had 60 tackles, 6 passes defensed (4th on the team), and led the team with 13 special teams tackles.

Now, did Calvin Johnson and Alshon Jeffries abuse him for highlight reel receptions in close games that we lost, and did Adrienne Peterson run over him for a TD? Yes and Yes. But think about it....those players have done the same thing to pro bowl safeties, and this kid was almost always in the picture, right there, which is why we are so angry with him....he was there and just missed making the plays against the NFL's top players at crunch time. But he was also a rookie from division II who fought off all others to be a starter, and he does have speed and explosiveness as evidenced by his numbers coming out of Saginaw Valley State.

While everyone hopes that other youngsters who were drafted in the 3rd through 5th rounds and shown flashes here and there will get it and blossom as they enter their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th seasons, why not take a kid who played in front of all of them as a rookie who has ability and pull for him to blossom and take what he learned last year and build upon it.

I would love to see Wilcox or Johnson or anyone become a pro bowl caliber safety, but I think we've been a little too hard on this undrafted rookie from division II who actually competed all year as a rookie...we've bashed and ridiculed him just because he was "right there" when big plays were made against him rather than sitting on the sidelines where most rookies from Saginaw Valley State belong.

Jeff Heath just may surprise us all this year. If you aren't surprised at his athletic measurables, especially his forty, bench press, and vertical, then you go to the head of the class.

He caught a few guys from behind after running past a few of our own. I was impressed with the rook, still rooting for the guy but he needs a couple more years. Dude got baptized by fire...

 

[black label]

Jeff Heath SUX...next

 

[GoCowboysGo]

Coaches, philosophy, not all the reasons.
since 1971, then you remember a guy named Bill Bates?
Made the team many of times for his ST's play. Eventually started, out of neccessity in a way. Too slow, but made some plays. I do remember a game one time, the Cowboys had the game one. They were playing the Commanders. all they needed was to stop a 4th down play. would get the ball back, and run out the clock. And they did stop them, but wait, Bill Bates comes flying in a good 3 seconds after the whistle blows. Unnecessary roughness call, 1st down Commanders, and they go on to score and win.

I cursed him for months after that, thought he was worthless at the time. This was a key game to, but against the Commanders, come on man....
So don't be so critical of Heath yet. Not saying he will be a Bill Bates, but give him a chance, if he doesn't get caught in a numbers game.

You're right, definitely not all the reasons. And if this guy turns out to be Bill Bates...we all win. Guys like him and Steve Tasker are few and far between though.

 

[theSHOW]

I made a thread last year saying he was one of the, if not the worst player in football.

I stand by that.

That's why you're on my ignore list.

 

[theSHOW]

Johnson 37 & Heath 38 !

 

[tm1119]

The fact that Heath went to Saginaw Valley State and then proceeded to go undrafted despite those impressive measurables listed is actually pretty telling that he's not an nfl safety. The guy is more of an athlete than a football player.I don't really see any particular skill he brings to the football field other than running in a straight line and tackling. Now that is enough to get him a niche roll on special teams, but I don't want to see him at safety.

 

[xwalker]

Heath has one thing going for him that you can't teach from what I saw of him last year.
Speed.

And I don't mean just track speed but football speed.

Yeh he had that deer in the headlight look versus Calvin Johnson, but Heath was also the one who caught him from behind to save a TD.

If he improved himself by learning the position this off season, I think he has good chance of making the team.

He outran Scandrick twice. It was really weird and I replayed it multiple times to verify.

 

[cowboys1981]

I like Heath. He's going to be a ST ace. People can bash them all they want, he saw more PT on defense than he should've.

 

[jnday]

Great example....a CB everyone loved to hate, but a pretty damn good safety in time.

Yeah, Waters was a young DB that just needed time and a tweak at positions.

 

[supercowboy8]

Jeff Heath is the Phil Costa of the defense. A nobody that doesn't belong and hurts the team but we are stuck having to play him. Then get a away with bad play because he was undrafted from a small school and has upside.

He's terrible and is a special teamer only.

 

[Picksix]

If MJ can stay healthy, one hit he is out.

So far, it hasn't even taken that much.

 

[Picksix]

No. Peterson ran him over

Heath stood him up initially, but eventually Peterson overpowered him and pulled him and a couple other Cowboys into the endzone. Don't know many free safeties that can handle Peterson one on one anyway.

 

[khiladi]

Heath is still on the team? Hope he gets cut. I can't take seeing him get burned or look confused out there anymore.

Apparently, that's what they teach safeties in Dallas.. They are the best in the game at teaching this art.

 

[CCBoy]

He outran Scandrick twice. It was really weird and I replayed it multiple times to verify.

Now that is a golden tidbit, X.

 

[Primetime42]

I'm sorry, I know how fast he is, how strong he is, how into it he is, yada yada.

The guy has some of the worst ball skills I've ever seen of a Cowboys safety, and that's really saying something. He had no business out there last year and if he sees significant time again this season, you can expect more of the same. QBs will be actively looking for him.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think it is a bit premature to know what we have at safety. Church is the elder in the group with 5 years the rest are entering their 2nd season or their rookie season.

 

[BlindFaith]

I don't think he can beat out Hamilton who has the cover skills they need. I doubt he can beat out Ryan Smith for that matter. He's a better cover guy too.

Just curious as to why you think Hamilton didn't beat him out this pas year then?

 

[CrownCowboy]

Jeff Heath is the Phil Costa of the defense. A nobody that doesn't belong and hurts the team but we are stuck having to play him. Then get a away with bad play because he was undrafted from a small school and has upside.

He's terrible and is a special teamer only.

This.

If we keep trottin' guys like him out there we won't win. It's pretty clear how awful he was last year. He might be an under dog or a guy from a small school that people want to pull for because he gives it his all and is likeable. That's all great.

The bottomline is that he is not an NFL caliber Safety. As long as he is out there we will be vulnerable to the deep ball all day long.