Jeff Heath looks to be the Dallas Cowboys week 1 starter at free safety in 2018. How do Dallas Cowboys fans feel about that? Well, the jury is still out on that verdict. The former undrafted free agent has replaced another former undrafted free agent (Tony Romo) as the most polarizing player on the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to fan perception. Half of the Cowboys fan base are ready to vote Jeff Heath into the Pro-Bowl while the other half would rather see him cut even with the lack of depth at the safety position. Which side is correct in their assessment, and where do you as a Cowboys fan stand on this debate? My guess is that many of you stand as I do, somewhere in between.
No one can deny that the Dallas Cowboys could use an upgrade at safety. All of this Earl Thomas talk is not solely attributed to some post game comments back in December. The safety position has been a weakness for the Cowboys for several years now. Jeff Heath is certainly not the solution to that issue. He went undrafted out of college for a reason and after 5 seasons of experience as a pro, he still has some flaws in his game. In an article from the Bleacher Report Heath ranked #28 in performance among safeties across the league. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755357-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-free-safeties-of-2017-season#slide0 Those fans that heap constant praise on Jeff Heath conveniently forget that he has on more than one occasion found himself out of position or taking poor angles resulting in abig plays against the defense. But despite his flaws, the idea that the Cowboys need to part ways with Jeff Heath is completely ridiculous.
Jeff Heath may not be a Pro-Bowler but he is a solid player and he comes cheap. In a recent article from blogging the boys, it was revealed that Pro Football Focus ranked Jeff Heath as the best value for his position in terms of performance measured against size of contract. https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2018/8/22/17702488/jeff-heath-named-best-contract-value-for-a-safety-heading-into-2018 In today’s NFL where the salary cap is so restrictive, that kind of value is priceless. The Dallas Cowboys need Jeff Heath on their roster. They are dangerously thin at safety and Jeff Heath is the most experienced safety on the team. Heath may have some flaws but he also possesses some valuable qualities that are lacking in the secondary. He is one of the fastest players on the team, he hits really hard and he has an uncanny knack for making big plays. Add to that his value on special teams, not to mention the fact that he can fill in at kicker in a pinch, and there is more than enough reasons that Cowboy fans should be more appreciative of Jeff Heath.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
Cowboy Coaches are STILL waiting for Heath to become a clone of Bill Bates and it hasn’t and will never happen. Cut the cord on this guy. He consistently takes horrible angles on pass plays and doesn’t tackle well.