Since the end of the Darren Woodson era, the Cowboys have struggled to find the right combination of players to fill the safety positions. Players such as Lynn Scott, Tony Dixon, Keith Davis, Pat Watkins, and Ken Hamlin have come and gone leaving the deep pass as the Achilles heel of recent teams. Roy Williams seemed as if he would be the next great Cowboy safety, but once Darren Woodson retired, he was never the same. His flaws were shown, and everyone realized he was nothing more than a glorified linebacker known for his ferocious hits as well as his lack of long ball coverage skills.
Last season, Gerald Sensabaugh and Alan Ball held down the positions. Ball struggled mightily, and as a result he will be returning to cornerback for the upcoming season. Sensabaugh showed flashes during the past two seasons of the qualities every general manager looks for in a strong safety. He was tough against the run helping out the linebackers as best he could, but he also demonstrated his ability in coverage with 5 interceptions on the season. While most of his interceptions seemed to be more miscues on the part of the quarterback, Sensabaugh still found himself in the right place and was able to catch the ball, which is more than some of his teammates can say. I’m looking at you Terence Newman.
While the Cowboys were awarded a top 10 pick in the 2011 NFL draft, no safety was worthy of spending such a high pick. Many fans wanted to see a safety taken in the next couple of rounds, but the front office felt as if no player was worth taking. The ongoing lockout did not help either in terms of allowing the Cowboys to get something done in free agency. If and when free agency does open, the Cowboys will most likely look to lock up the few players they need to first (Doug Free, Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen), and then move on to addressing the void left at safety with the position change of Ball.
The free agent class at safety does not produce any Pro-Bowl level players, but there are a few options with the ability to step in for the Cowboys and provide a much-needed lift at a position they just cannot seem to figure out. Pairing one of the available free agents with Gerald Sensabaugh could give the Cowboys the right duo in the defensive backfield to take the Cowboys back to the playoffs where they would look to improve upon their 2010 playoff victory. With that in mind, here are a few of the available options for the Cowboys at safety and how they would fit in with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense.
Eric Weddle
Weddle is the best safety available in the free agent class. Under the previous CBA, he would have had a 1st round compensation, but after the lockout he will be unrestricted and up for grabs. Weddle is only 26, and would give the Cowboys a good young option to pair with Sensabaugh. He entered the league as a strong safety, and therefore was much better against the run. Yet, his skills as a pass coverage safety have improved mightily, and he still has room to improve. The only concern with Weddle is has lack of playmaking. Safeties are generally called upon to create turnovers and momentum swinging plays. Last season, Nick Collins of the Green Bay Packers intercepted 4 passes and recovered 2 fumbles with one leading to a touchdown. The year before Darren Sharper had 9 interceptions for 3 touchdowns. And before that, Troy Polamalu intercepted 7 passes. The thing those 3 play-making safeties have in common; they were Super Bowl champions who made plays for their defense. Weddle has never caused more than 2 turnovers in a season, and lacks the ability to be a game changer for his team. What he does offer is the ability to prevent the big play for his opposition, something Dallas has lacked for the past several seasons.
Quintin Mikell
Mikell is the most experienced safety of the group. Much like Weddle, Mikell offers great all-around play with solid coverage skills and the ability to come up and stuff the run. He led the available safeties in pass break-ups last season, and he had three interceptions to go along with it. Yet, Mikell is also the oldest safety available at age 30. He may not give the Cowboys a long-term answer at the position, but he brings tons of experience to the table. Mikell could step in from day one, and give the Cowboys strong leadership and a much needed locker room presence along the same lines of Keith Brooking.
Michael Huff
Huff did not live up to his lofty draft ranking for his first couple of seasons in the NFL. Even more disappointing is that he failed to play well under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Yet, Huff has begun to come into his own the past few years as one of the best coverage safeties in the league. He was forced at times to come up to the line when Asomugha was injured, and did a nice job. Huff presents exactly what Dallas needs with his coverage skills. He also sees the Cowboys as a destination team constantly tweeting about how much he loves Dallas. He was one of the biggest supporters of the Mavericks during their recent championship run, and would be really endearing to his fans with how much he loves the city and their other sports teams. If Huff continues to play well against the pass and can keep up his lofty sack numbers, he can easily become a Pro-Bowler with the Boys next year and for seasons to come.
Dawan Landry
Landry is another young safety that could be on the move. More known for his run stopping skills, Landry did improve in his pass coverage skills. Landry has shown the ability to be a playmaker with 3 touchdowns in four seasons of play (his fifth season was lost to injury) and at least 4 interceptions in two of those seasons. Yet, in the other two seasons, he failed to record even 1 interception and his pass coverage skills have always been a major question mark. A safety whose pass coverage skills are not his specialty is not exactly what the Cowboys are looking for and stepping away from the side of Ed Reed could cause problems for Landry.
Roman Harper
The young Saints safety stepped up in Darren Sharper’s absence last season. He did not have many interceptions, but his 6 forced fumbles were impressive. Yet, much like Landry, he struggles in his pass coverage, and he was greatly exposed against the Seahawks in the playoffs. John Carlson torched him for constant big plays. Harper is another safety that is much better closer to the line of scrimmage as evidenced by the forced fumbles rather than interceptions. Landry and Harper would remind most Dallas fans of Roy Williams, which is something they probably do not want to repeat. Finding a safety that can provide much needed coverage skills on the back end is priority number one in free agency. While Landry and Harper can provide the necessary playmaking ability, they do not offer the wanted pass coverage skills and as a result would not be the best options for the Cowboys.
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