New secondary coach and passing game co-ordinator Kris Richard made it abundantly clear that he prefers length, strength and athleticism as physical traits for his cornerbacks. In a www.DallasCowboys.com article, Nick Eatman explains that it was for those reasons that he opted to switch Byron Jones from safety to cornerback. Jones possesses the prototypical size and athleticism that Richard values for that position. In that same article, Coach Richard did concede that there are exceptions to that physical mold and he named Jourdan Lewis as an exception there. It is interesting that second year cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was not mentioned as an exception to the rule. Perhaps he was not mentioned in addition to Jourdan Lewis because Kris Richard does not believe Awuzie as a cornerback at all.
The available options at safety for the Cowboys are few and far between. Jeff Heath is a solid role player but I believe he was exposed at times as a starter. Kavon Frazier played really well towards the end of the season but he has limited experience and pedigree on his resume. Xavier Woods was a player the Cowboys liked at safety but he excelled as a slot cover guy last season. Meanwhile Chidobe Awuzie (Cheedo) is a player that was highly regarded when he was drafted in part because of his position versatility. Awuzie does not fit the physical description of the long cornerback that Richard referred to as the prototype, but he does have similar measurables to another player who excelled in the DB guru’s “Legion of Boom” during his days in Seattle.
| Earl Thomas | Chidobe Awuzie | |
| Height | 5″10 | 6″0 |
| Weight | 202 lbs | 202 lbs |
| Arms | 31 1/4 | 30 5/8 |
| Hands | 9 3/8 | 8 1/2 |
| Broad Jump | 9 “5 | 11″0 |
| Vertical Leap | 32 | 34.5 |
| 40 time | 4.43 | 4.43 |
With talk of an Earl Thomas trade slowing down to a halt, the Cowboys certainly have to have a contingency plan in place to address the safety position before the start of the season. Training camp is still a long while away but it will be interesting to keep an eye on the Chidobe Awuzie situation. On paper at least, he seems to be a great fit to fill in at free safety.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
References
New DB Coach Richard Prefers Bigger CBs, But Lewis “Exception to the Rule” by Nick Eatman www.dallascowboys.com, Saturday, May 12, 2018 3:29PM CDT http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2018/05/12/new-db-coach-richard-prefers-bigger-cbs-lewis-%E2%80%9Cexception-rule%E2%80%9D
www.nfl.com Combine Profiles http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/chidobe-awuzie?id=2557840
www.nfldraftscout.com http://draftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72083&draftyear=2010&genpos=