The Dallas Cowboys safety position has long been an area of weakness and at the same time a position the Cowboys front office refuses to invest serious free agent capital or premium draft picks on. The strategy hasn’t changed in 2021 but Cowboys fans are hoping for a different result. Similar to last season, when they signed former first round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a cheap deal, the Cowboys are hoping to stumble upon a Gold Jacket worthy talent but off of the free agent clearance rack.
This off season, the Cowboys signed not just one, but two talented safeties coming off of season ending Achilles injuries to address their need at free safety. First it was former Falcon Damontae Kazee, who led the league in interceptions under Dan Quinn in 2018. Then more recently, former first round pick and college teammate of Ezekiel Elliott, Malik Hooker. The motivation for signing Malik Hooker may have resulted from Kazee reportedly struggling early in camp or it could be a situation where the low risk was far outweighed by the potential reward and so it was just too hard to pass up for the Cowboys. Time will tell whether either of these players can make it through a 17 game season and more importantly, if they can perform remotely close to the level that most Cowboys fans believe they are capable of.
At strong safety, one of the more popular selections for the Dallas Cowboys breakout players of 2021, is Donovan Wilson. Many Cowboys fans fell in love with Wilson in his rookie year when he recorded 3 picks in the pre-season but he suffered an injury and barely played in his first year. Last year when he stepped into the starting role, he became one of the few bright spots for the Cowboys defensively thanks to his nose for the football and penchant for making bone crushing, ball jarring tackles. Wilson is a fun player to watch, but Cowboy fans should temper their expectations. Taking a lesson from another safety who showed potential but flamed out (Xavier Woods), let’s wait and see how Donovan Wilson responds to the increased expectations this season.
Rounding out the safety depth chart are Darian Thompson, Jayron Kearse, Steven Parker, and rookie converted cornerback Israel Mukuamu. Of this group, Mukuamu is the most intriguing with his size and ability to flash. If he can somehow make the team, he may get an opportunity to prove himself given the durability issues of our new free agent acquisitions.
It might seem foolish for Cowboys fans to be in any way optimistic about the safety position. The front office has used the same old approach that has yielded poor returns in the past so why should we expect a different result? Well, the hope of all Cowboy fans rests squarely on the shoulders of new Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn. Cowboy fans are hoping for nothing less than the second coming of the Legion of Boom. They are probably setting themselves up for disappointment…again; But, this is the time of the year for optimism so here’s to the 2021 Dallas Cowboys and the “Legion of DoomsDay Defense”.
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