Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver
Free agency isn't exactly over because, as Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones likes to say, player acquisition is a 365-day job. However, with the 2020 NFL draft approaching next week, free agency certainly takes a back seat.
The Cowboys have been active in free agency, using the bulk of their signings to fill holes, but that doesn't mean they have addressed every need.
Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receivers
Cowboys’ executive vice president, Stephen Jones, has even hinted at Allen Hurns being an option at slot receiver. No matter if Dallas decides to stay in-house or look into the draft or free. Apr 23, 2019 The Dallas Cowboys scored big when they inked Randell Cobb to a 1-year deal last month. But that appears to be nothing more than a Band-Aid and given his recent injury history, the slot receiver.
Let's look at the remaining needs and the players on the roster at those positions.
Pass-rusher
On the roster: DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Dorance Armstrong, Joe Jackson, Jalen Jelks, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory
Robert Quinn's 11.5 sacks have not been replaced. Lawrence is the leader of the Cowboys' pass-rushers, but he had only five last season. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis was second on the team with four sacks.
Finding pass-rush help is a must for Dallas. Smith and Gregory are in the process of reinstatement, but even if they return to the field, what are realistic expectations for them? Smith has not played since 2015. Gregory has played 16 games the past four seasons.
LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson is considered the second-best pass-rusher in the draft, after Ohio State's Chase Young, and he could be the Cowboys' pick at No. 17. Chaisson is athletic and can turn the edge. He might be able to play multiple spots if the Cowboys alter their schemes into some kind of hybrid 4-3, 3-4 looks under coordinator Mike Nolan.
Cornerback
On the roster: Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Maurice Canady, C.J. Goodwin, Saivion Smith, Deante Burton
Byron Jones briefly became the NFL's highest-paid cornerback when he left the Cowboys to sign with the Miami Dolphins, leaving a big hole.
If the season started tomorrow, the Cowboys could get by with what they have. The group might not be the strongest in the league, but they'll do. Awuzie, Lewis and Brown have played substantial roles. Canady was added as a role player. Goodwin is more of a special-teamer.
Selecting a corner in the first round makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys because among their top four at the position, only Brown is signed past 2020. A draft isn't just about the current season. It is about the future, too. Although many mock drafts have connected Florida cornerback CJ Henderson to the Cowboys, the team released part of its Zoom interview with LSU's Kristian Fulton on social media. He could be a second-round option.
Slot receiver
On the roster: Devin Smith, Cedrick Wilson, Tony Pollard
Having lost Randall Cobb's 55 catches to the Houston Texans in free agency, the Cowboys' in-house pickings are a tad slim. Amari Cooper can play in the slot but not all the time. Same with Michael Gallup. Wilson might be the best fit for the spot among those under contract, but Pollard has some intrigue.
A running back by trade, Pollard played receiver at Memphis. He has the quickness to play inside and seems to have a feel for the game. In Green Bay, Mike McCarthy played receiver Ty Montgomery some at running back out of necessity. Perhaps the opposite could happen with Pollard.
But this draft is stacked with receivers. Clemson's Tee Higgins was among the Cowboys' interviewees, but he does not fit the profile of a slot receiver. SMU's James Proche and Kentucky's Lynn Bowden Jr. could be prime candidates to watch in the middle rounds.
Safety
On the roster: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Xavier Woods, Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson
Only Thompson and Wilson are signed past 2020. Clinton-Dix has shown the ability to take the ball away in a career that started with McCarthy in Green Bay. Woods has been a solid starter the past two seasons.
In recent years, the Cowboys have not thrown many high-end resources at this spot. The most recent first-round safety they took was Roy Williams in 2002. (Byron Jones was drafted as a corner in 2015 and moved to safety in 2016). It's difficult to know if things will change with a new coach, but Clinton-Dix was a first-round pick by the Packers.
Alabama's Xavier McKinney, LSU's Grant Delpit and Minnesota's Antoine Winfield Jr. have been linked to the Cowboys in the early rounds.
Swing tackle
On the roster: Brandon Knight, Mitch Hyatt, Cody Wichmann
Cameron Fleming handled the role the past two seasons, starting six games. The Cowboys did not pick up his 2020 option for $4 million, and he signed with the New York Giants.
This is a sneaky need because at some point, the Cowboys have to think long-term about Tyron Smith. He remains one of the best left tackles in the game, and last week, he was named to the All-Decade team, but he has missed three games in each of the past four seasons and has a chronic back issue.
Do the Cowboys look for a mid-round tackle to groom as a potential starter in the way they did with Doug Free in 2007?
Backup quarterback
On the roster: Cooper Rush, Clayton Thorson
Rush has thrown three passes in three seasons and will count $2.1 million against the cap if he is the backup for a fourth straight season. Thorson spent the previous season on the practice squad.
The Cowboys interviewed Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts, which could make him an intriguing name to watch if he is available in the third or fourth round. No, it would not mean the Cowboys are grooming Hurts as Dak Prescott's successor, just as Prescott was not viewed as Tony Romo's successor when he was picked in 2016. It just worked out that way.
Another name to consider: Florida International's James Morgan.
One more thing to consider: McCarthy comes from an organization that believed in drafting quarterbacks, though the Packers took a quarterback five times in his 13 seasons and just once before the fifth round (Brian Brohm, second round, 2008).
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town. A familiar foe will walk into AT&T Stadium, but they won’t likely recognize the current inhabitants of the confines. The Dallas Cowboys continue to shuffle their roster on a weekly basis, as injuries and poor play force a new mixture onto the field each week.
Fortunately, the starting offensive line will remain the same for the second straight week for the first time all year. Unfortunately, the man under center will change once again. Dallas is trotting out their fourth different starting QB in just nine games as Garrett Gilbert gets under center. The depth chart has a new name there, as it does at running back as well.
The team will work with the following positional breakdown in figuring out their game-day actives.
Offense (24)
Quarterback (3*)
Running Back (4*)
Wide Receiver (6)
Tight End (3)
Offensive Line (8)
Tackle (3)
Guard (3)
Center (2)
Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver Position
Defense (27)
Edge Rusher (5)
Defensive Tackles (5)
Linebackers (7)
Cornerbacks (5*)
Safeties (5)