Tag: Chidobe Awuzie

DBs in heavy rotation on first day of camp as Cowboys coaches preach takeaways

Returning veterans, newly-signed free agents, and a fresh-faced rookie all got reps in the Cowboys secondary as training camp opened.

Perhaps no position group on the entire Dallas roster has been more of a sore spot in recent years than the defensive backs. A brutal interception drought, letting Byron Jones leave, and the failed courtship of several name-brand safeties has left many Cowboys fans feeling like maybe the coaching staff views the secondary as, well, a secondary concern.

But now there’s a new sheriff in town. And in the McCarthy era, everybody gets in on the action. Or at least they did on the first day of full-team practice.

It was a revolving door at cornerback on Friday at The Star in Frisco, with the depth chart apparently “wide open,” according to David Helman of the team website.

“Chidobe Awuzie and Daryl Worley split reps on the left side,” Helman writes, “while Anthony Brown and Trevon Diggs split reps on the right side. Jourdan Lewis and Brown split time as the slot cornerback.”

Behind them, Helman notes, “Xavier Woods and HaHa Clinton-Dix were the initial starting safeties, but both Darian Thompson and Donovan Wilson got a chance to work with the starters.”

Clinton-Dix brings six seasons of NFL experience with him to his first year in Dallas. With the better part of five seasons coming under the watchful eye of McCarthy in Green Bay, he had a good idea of what to expect from Day One of the coach’s 2020 camp.

The veteran also had good things to say about the Cowboys’ second-round rookie cornerback and fellow Crimson Tide alum.

While that pair of fresh faces look to bring a new ballhawking mentality to the Dallas DB room, another guy who flew under the radar may find himself getting a new lease on life under the new regime.

Safety Donovan Wilson got into 11 games in his rookie campaign last year; Friday he started his sophomore season on a strong note.

“The coaching staff gave Wilson an opportunity to work with the first-team defense,” Helman explains of Friday’s opening practice, “and he definitely made the most of it. Wilson read Dak Prescott looking to make a near-side throw outside the numbers, and he darted in front of the ball for a nifty interception. It was the first takeaway of training camp for a defense that is stressing the importance of generating turnovers.”

It seems the new-look Cowboys secondary has a primary objective for 2020.

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Reggie Robinson perfect fit as Cowboys secondary works to figure out identity

Will CB Reggie Robinson be the latest fourth round draft pick to become a contributor for the Cowboys?

During the 2017 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys doubled-dipped at the cornerback position, selecting Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis in the second and third rounds respectively. With the secondary in a state of flux after the free agency departures of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, Dallas aimed to find stability in two young and promising corners.

Flash forward three years, and the Cowboys secondary still finds itself in transition, this time looking to replace the production of CB Byron Jones. Now under a new coaching staff, Dallas once again double-dipped at cornerback in the 2020 draft, selecting Alabama’s Trevon Diggs in Round 2 and Tulsa’s Reginald Robinson II in Round 4. Robinson seems a strong bet to be the next great Day 3 selection in Cowboys history.

Selected No. 123 overall, Robinson may not be as polished coming out of college as Diggs, but he’s an athletic and high-upside building block for the secondary under Mike McCarthy and new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

While his initial opportunities may be limited, Robinson can still contribute immediately, and also represents a possible longterm CB option going forward.

In 2019, Robinson led the AAC in pass defenses (13), and was named first-team All-Conference. He recorded 38 total tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, showing an ability to make plays on the ball. He was also a key special teams player over his college career, blocking four total kicks.

In coverage, Robinson holds up well, presenting an intriguing blend of size and athleticism.

While Diggs projects as an elite defender in press coverage, but questionable in other phases of playing corner, Robinson’s ability to excel in press, man and zone may actually give him a higher ceiling due to the diversity. With the right coaching, he can project to playing whatever aspect of a multiple defense.

He still has room to grow with his footwork, but it’s not hard to see why a team like Dallas believes he has the potential to eventually become a quality NFL starter.

The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler had this to say after evaluating Robinson’s film.

Passes the eye test with his height, arm length and build at the position…staggers his steps and opens his hips to stay attached from press…excellent job squatting in zone coverage, reading the quarterback and working toward the anticipated throwing lane…dialed in and feels route combinations around him…outcompetes receivers at the catch point and he is always ball searching…high football IQ…aggressive run defender and powers his way through blockers…sets a hard edge in the run game…logged four blocked kicks on special teams over his career…excellent ball production as a senior with 17 passes defended and four interceptions, allowing only one touchdown.

Entering 2020, the Cowboys have a bevy of options at cornerback, but few long-term answers at the position. Robinson figures to factor into their plans in some way, but much depends on the play of Awuzie and Lewis, and the composition of the unit after this season. However, Robinson is also a potential option at safety, the position he played in high school. Dallas’s future at safety is equally uncertain, with only Darian Thompson and 2019 sixth rounder Donovan Wilson as the only listed safeties currently signed past 2020.

Wherever he fits, Dallas sees a player they can win with in Robinson. It’s never held him back, but Robinson is deaf in his left ear. His family discovered his impairment when Robinson was in elementary school, and he’s adjusted to the point where those around him almost seem to forget all about it. Said his coach at Tulsa, Philip Montgomery:

“Honestly, I didn’t know about [Robinson’s hearing loss] when we were recruiting him, and I didn’t find out until he got on campus. It was one of those deals where I was walking beside him down the hall and I said something to him, and he kind of turned his head to talk to me. He tells me, ‘Coach, you know I’m deaf in this ear, right?’ No, Reggie, I didn’t know that.”

Always adapting and improving, Robinson has all the traits necessary to become another mid-round gem for a Dallas team looking for contributors on a young and changing secondary.

This is part of our Countdown to the Regular Season player profile countdown. 

| Antwaun Woods | Tyrone Crawford | Trysten Hill | Jalen Jelks |
| Dontari Poe | Randy Gregory | Gerald McCoy | Dorance Armstrong |
| L.P. Ladouceur | DeMarcus Lawrence | Blake Jarwin | CeeDee Lamb |
| Cole Hikutini | Dalton Schultz | Noah Brown | Sean McKeon |
| Ventell Bryant | Jon’vea Johnson | Blake Bell | Justin Hamilton |
| Cody Wichmann | Tyron Smith | Ladarius Hamilton |
| Neville Gallimore | Terence Steele | Joe Looney | La’el Collins |
| Zack Martin | Brandon Knight | Ron’Dell Carter | Wyatt Miller |
| Connor McGovern | Tyler Biadasz | Adam Redmond | Luke Gifford |
| Leighton Vander Esch | Justin March | Connor Williams |
| Bradlee Anae | Sean Lee | Jamize Olawale | Joe Thomas |
| Francis Bernard | Sewo Olonilua |

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Cowboys News: 2020 breakout candidates, refs may struggle out box with no help

Dallas Cowboys news and notes for July 31, 2020.

The NFL was ready to implement serious changes in the way on-field officials communicated with the replay officials, but without a preseason to test the league has ended that experiment before it got started/

The Dallas Cowboys have a chance to have one of the best records in the league in 2020, but it could depend on a few players have their breakout seasons. Two players to watch who could become household names include safety Xavier Woods and cornerback Chidobe Auzie. Another young corner, Trevon Diggs, spent the summer competing with his all-pro brother, and many are placing high expectations on the Alabama product. Plus, the latest from Stephen Jones regarding the future of Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

Expanded booth-to-official communication nixed for 2020 :: NFL

The NFL was ready to test expanded booth-to-official communication this upcoming season, but with no preseason to test things out, the league has chose to wait to implement these new technologies. No preseason along with no camp visits so the refs can warm up before the regular season? Yikes.

Stephen Jones: Cowboys Super Bowl would ‘create more value’ for Prescott’s new deal :: Cowboys Wire

Many believe that the Cowboys inability to sign Dak Prescott to a long term deal this offseason points to Prescott not being Dallas quarterback of the future. Stephen Jones recently voiced his opinions on the matter, and Jones believes just the opposite.

20Q: Which Players Are Primed For A Big Season? :: Cowboys Official Team Site

Michael Gallup, Xavier Woods, and Chidobe Awuzie are all massively important to the Cowboys success in 2020, but which one is most likely to break out and become a pro-bowl level player? The Cowboys staff writers debate the biggest breakout candidate heading into the season.

Every NFL franchise’s best team of the Super Bowl era: One of Cowboys’ ’90s teams cracks all-time list :: CBS Sports

CBS Sports determined the best team ever for each NFL franchise. The Cowboys have five Super Bowl winning teams to choose from, follow the link above to find out which Dallas roster made the cut.

Cowboys still richest sports franchise in the history of earth :: Cowboys Wire

Five years ago the Cowboys became the most valuable sports franchise in the world, and they haven’t looked back. Forbes ranked the most valuable sports teams and the Cowboys were first again, and by half a billion dollars this year.

Cowboys season preview: Projecting floor, ceiling for 2020 record :: NFL

The Cowboys had one of the best offenses in football a year ago, and an average defense, but that shouldn’t add up to an 8-8 record. NFL Network previews all the aspects of the Cowboys upcoming season, including a best-case scenario projection and a worst-case scenario projection.

Sibling Rivalry: Cowboys rookie CB Trevon Diggs sharpened offseason skills vs brother Stefon :: Cowboys Wire

Without a traditional off season, it has been harder for NFL players to get their regular training regimen in. Luckily for rookie Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, he and his pro-bowl brother Stefon Diggs have used each other to improve their skills this summer.

Mailbag: Configuring A COVID-19 Practice Squad? :: The Mothership

In the latest edition of Mailbag, Cowboy’s staff writers David Helman & Jonny Auping do their best to answer fan questions. This edition’s questions revolve around how teams will use the practice squad in this unique season, and does Devin Smith have the best shot at becoming the fourth Cowboy wide receiver?

Francis Bernard has chance to go from UDFA to Cowboys LB rotation :: The CowboysWire

The CowboysWire player profiles continue as Francis Bernard is up and has a legitimate shot to shoot up the linebacker depth chart.

Cowboys rook Tyler Biadasz speaks on ‘concrete message’ camp safety, injury :: The CowboysWire

The Rookie center dives into Mike McCarthy’s message to the 2020 Cowboys team. Addresses his past injury and claims he’s 100%.

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2021 mock draft ships Cowboys TE with Rob Gronkowski comps

A mock draft gives the Dallas Cowboys a tight end at the back end of the first round.

The Dallas Cowboys tried to find, if not a replacement, a suitable facsimile of tight end Jason Witten for years. The front office drafted Gavin Escobar, Anthony Fasano and Martellus Bennett a round earlier than the future Hall of Famer. They tried finding hidden gems in the later rounds, hoping to steal some talent. Ultimately nothing they tried mattered, as Witten was able to outlast and outperform them all.

In Brent Sobleski’s most recent 2021 mock draft at Bleacher Report, he has the Cowboys trying their luck at the tight end position again, drafting Pat Freiermuth from Penn State with pick No. 28. Says Sobleski, “The 6’5″, 259-pound target, who caught 43 passes for 507 yards last season, continues to draw Rob Gronkowski comparisons.”

That’s high praise, to be sure. It would also be the first time that Dallas used a first-round pick on a tight end since David LaFleur in 1997. It’s not impossible to think that the Cowboys would continue to throw resources at weapons for quarterback Dak Prescott, but the team may already have their tight end of the future in the fold with Blake Jarwin, who signed an extension in March.

The team will likely have further pressing needs, particularly on the back end of the defense. And while Dallas eschewed the same needs for an offensive weapon in CeeDee Lamb in 2020, it’s hard to imagine them doing that in consecutive years when the sheer number of defensive backs scheduled to hit the free-agent market next off-season is mind boggling.

Four of the Cowboys’ projected contributors are free-agents-to-be. Cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie as well as the projected starting safety tandem of Xavier Woods and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix could all be in different uniforms come next year. That’s without mentioning the rest of the depth the team could be losing.

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Daryl Worley announces he’s signing with Cowboys, CB room too crowded for Awuzie?

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t done with player acquisition just because the 2020 NFL draft is over. Dallas lost a couple of cornerbacks in free agency, most notably No. 1 defensive back Byron Jones. They also released little used Donovan Olumba. To …

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t done with player acquisition just because the 2020 NFL draft is over. Dallas lost a couple of cornerbacks in free agency, most notably No. 1 defensive back Byron Jones. They also released little used Donovan Olumba. To counter the losses, Maurice Canady and Saivion Smith were brought in, but those moves were more seen as band-aids as opposed to solutions at the top of the depth chart.

The draft changed that, as the club spent their second-round pick on Alabama corner Trevon Diggs and Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II was their fourth-round selection. The room was crowded then, but is even more crowded now as former Oakland and Carolina corner Daryl Worley announced on Twitter he is joining the club.

Worley’s addition further clouds the future of 2017 second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie. Following the draft, head coach Mike McCarthy hinted that the team could look to move one or more of their corners to the safety position. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan admitted over the offseason he wants corners who create turnovers and Awuzie’s biggest problem is an inability to locate the football despite having relatively tight coverage on receivers.

On Tuesday, Director of Player Personnel Will McClay appeared on Sirius XM NFL and confirmed Awuzie was being considered for that move.

The club wants to play more press-man coverage and apparently Awuzie may not fit that job description.

Worley is a four-year veteran, drafted in the third round by the Panthers in 2016 and spending two years before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for WR Torrey Smith. The 6-foot-1, 215 pounder had three interceptions in his first two seasons.

The West Virginia product was arrested though, and the Eagles released him before ever playing a down for them. The charge was driving under the influence and he allegedly was combative with the arresting officer, resulting in him being tased.

Worley was then picked up by the Oakland Raiders, and served a four-game suspension that season. He re-signed with Oakland in 2019 and played for just over $3 million. He had an inteception in each of his two seasons in Oakland.

 

8 Trade-up options back into 1st round for Cowboys

After looking at what Dallas might gain in a trade back from No. 17, here’s a look at what they might use to trade up from No. 51.

With the NFL draft now just one day away, it’s probably a good idea to look at things from another perspective. Last week, 12 trade-back scenarios were laid out in which the Dallas Cowboys vacated the No. 17 overall pick in order to get more bodies into the rotation.

Dallas hasn’t moved off of their first round pick in over eight years though, as our 10 Draft Commandments outlines in Commandment No.3, “Thou shall covet keeping your first rounders.” But what about after that? There’s plenty of reason for Dallas to consider moving up from where they pick next, No. 51. What kind of opportunities could be there?

We polled managing editors of other NFL teams here on the Wire network and eight of them said their teams would heavily consider trading back from their current positions to acquire more picks.

Some of the clubs that responded will likely be out of the Cowboys’ range to trade back into the first round.

Dipping Into 2021’s Stash

The New Orleans Saints (No. 24) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 25) editors all indicated they believe their teams would be willing to move down in the draft and out of the first round.

In order to reach these lofty heights from all the way down at pick No. 51, the Cowboys would have to dip into their 2021 cache of picks to make things happen. Here’s why.

Saints (24) – 740 pts
Vikings (25) – 720 pts

Cowboys (51) – 390 pts
Cowboys (82) – 180 pts
Cowboys (123) – 49 pts
Cowboys 2nd, 3rd, 4th-round picks total – 619 pts

Even if Dallas gave up their next three picks, which they would never do, they’d still not have enough to swing a deal for any of these picks. They’d need to give up a high-value 2021 pick to make this happen.

Future picks are normally regarded as having one-round-less value, so a 2021 first is worth the 16th pick in the 2020 second round, or 420 points.

Here are a couple trade scenarios using these numbers.

Option 1: Cowboys send 2.19 (390) + 3.18 (180) + 2021 2nd (190) to Saints for 1.24 (740) + 5.23 (22.6). 760 points for 762.6 points

Option 2: Cowboys send 2.19 (390) + 2021 1st (420) to Vikings for 1.25 (720) + 3.41 (84) + 6.26 (8.2) . 810 points for 812.2 points

What if the Cowboys weren’t interested in giving up all of this draft capital, would they throw a player into a deal?

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Cowboys losing Byron Jones to AFC’s Dolphins

Dallas is losing their 2015 first-round pick, but he isn’t staying in division.

The Dallas Cowboys knew that they were going to lose at least one of their major stars in 2020 free agency. Even before the NFLPA approved the recent CBA, stripping the club of the outside chance at having two tags at their disposal, they knew. When team representatives met with corner Byron Jones at the scouting combine, it was reported to be an amicable understanding that what Jones could get on the open market would be more than Dallas was willing to spend.

The 2015 first-round pick seemingly has lived up to the forecast, agreeing to terms with the Miami Dolphins for what looks like the largest contract ever awarded a cornerback.

In the midst of their 2019 fire sale, the Dolphins traded their top corner Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, so they were certainly on the radar as looking to find a top DB who wanted to be in town. Jones, 27, fit the bill, as he was also being pursued by at least the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Cowboys, who also have CB Anthony Brown among their myriad of free agents, will now decide if they want to pursue a corner on the market or turn over their No.1 responsibilities to 2017 second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie is slated to be a free agent in 2021.

One high-priced option for Dallas to consider is already off the market also, as Carolina Panthers FA James Bradberry — who Cowboys Wire identified as a possible replacement for Jones at $15.6 million a year — is reuniting with the GM who drafted him, Dave Gettleman in New York. The Giants are giving the 26-year old a three-year, $15 million deal.

Dallas has been linked with former Denver Broncos’ corner Chris Harris, 30, as a possible replacement.

Jones was also a target for division rivals Philadelphia and Washington, so leaving the division and conference may be of some solace for the loss.

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Secondary Income: Cowboys’ Jourdan Lewis, Xavier Woods get raises

Dallas Cowboys defensive backs Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods get a raise through the proven-performance escalator.

The salary cap is a fickle thing. Capable franchises are able to navigate the rough waters in a number of ways, structuring contracts to maximize the maneuverability of the roster. Some things can’t be avoided. They are also first world problems. In this instance it’s the proven-performer escalator clause that gives bumps to players picked in the third-round or later who meet the required amount of snaps.

For the Dallas Cowboys, this means their salary cap just got a bit more tight. ESPN’s Todd Archer is reporting that defensive backs Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis just got $1,500,000 raises. This news won’t come as a shock to the front office in Dallas. It also won’t shock anybody who follows along with Over the Cap, who had this pegged with their projections.

Lewis has been the odd-man out in the Cowboys’ secondary. not fitting former defensive coordinator Kris Richard’s archetype of a cornerback. If it weren’t for the injury to pending free agent Anthony Brown, Lewis might not have gotten on the field for nearly the amount of snaps he did throughout the 2019 season. He played about 60% as many snaps as the two guys ahead of him, Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie, but was involved as the same amount of turnovers as the pair did combined. He also added four sacks.

The other beneficiary of the rule is Woods, the 2017 sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech. In no way has he been perfect in his time in Dallas, but he’s proven to be, at worst, an average safety, though he still has his fair share of concerns when it comes to tackling.

The future for these two players on the back-end is unknown. It seemed clear change was needed on the defensive side of the ball, and as the old saying goes a team can’t fire the players.

With a new coaching staff in place, perhaps both players will be utilized better. For Woods that might mean a new partner in crime patrolling the deep part of the field. For Lewis it might just mean being allowed on it.

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Who would the Texans take in a redrafting of the 2017 NFL Draft?

The Houston Texans drafted QB Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. But who would they have taken if the 2017 class were redrafted?

The Houston Texans knew they wanted quarterback Deshaun Watson in the 2017 NFL Draft, which is why the organization made a trade to get the Clemson Tiger at No. 12 overall.

With three seasons in the books on the 2017 class, what would a redraft look like if all 32 teams could go back in time with this foreknowledge? That is the question Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus tackled in his 2017 redraft.

Of course, quarterback Patrick Mahomes would have gone No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns instead of defensive end Myles Garrett. However, the next player off the board would have been Watson with the Chicago Bears moving up to No. 2 overall to take him.

Where does that leave the Texans?

According to Linsey, the Texans would have stayed put at No. 25 overall and taken cornerback Chidobe Awuzie from Colorado with their first-round pick.

The Texans’ biggest area of need right now is help in the secondary, and Awuzie is the cornerback left on the board with the best track record over a three-year span. He’s been solid in coverage for the Cowboys the past two years, with coverage grades of 65.4 and 70.5 to go along with an allowed completion rate of 62.5%. Those aren’t spectacular numbers, but they also aren’t going to kill your team. Looking at the players left on the board and the sort of value that a player like Awuzie has brought to the table, it makes sense for him to go here to a team that could use him.

The problem with taking Awuzie in the first round is quarterback. Houston dealt away quarterback Brock Osweiler of March 9 that year because they were in search of a franchise quarterback. If in this alternate reality they didn’t address quarterback in free agency, then the organization was most certainly going to look to the draft to fix the issue. Coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t going to lead a team with Tom Savage and T.J. Yates under center.

Other options in the draft were DeShone Kizer, Davis Webb, D.J. Beathard, Joshua Dobbs, Brad Kaaya, and Chad Kelly. New Orleans Saints athlete Taysom Hill was part of the undrafted class in 2017.

Even in a redraft, the Texans weren’t going to sit by and let a franchise quarterback get away.

Houston fans are thankful Linsey’s piece is nothing more than an exercise in alternate realities and not the status quo. Watson has fixed the quarterback issues that have plagued the organization since Matt Schaub fell of the map in 2013. Now, the Texans have other issues to fix.

Stock Up, Stock Down: Which Cowboys investments paid off?

Here are some of the highlights and the low points in the 2019 season for the Dallas Cowboys.

Now that Mike McCarthy is settling in at his new job as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and and is rounding out his staff, it’s time to finally take a look back at their season.

It won’t be remembered as a fun year in the team’s history, but it was filled with many ups and downs. Fans were heavily invested in the season, and may feel like they didn’t get a proper return on their investment. Which shares of the team were profitable and which succumbed to market pressure?

Stock Up:  QB Dak Prescott

(Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

It was the best season in Prescott’s career, as he set new highs in every major passing category. The 30 touchdown tosses and almost to 5,000 yards passing were good enough to place him inside the top four in the NFL for both categories.

Prescott’s willingness to throw deep and into the middle of the field were also major areas of improvement. He was a legitimate MVP candidate in the middle of the year until the late season swoon from the team.

Stock Down:  Prescott’s clutch gene

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Prescott’s most valuable trait in his first three seasons, the ability to play his best in key moments, was nowhere to be found in 2019. Prescott led the league in fourth quarter/OT comeback wins during his first three seasons but came up empty this season. The stats are nice, but Prescott’s zero come from behind wins was a major disappointment.

It shouldn’t all fall at Prescott’s feet, the coaches and the receiver drops had something to do with his failures in this department. However, if you praise Prescott for the comebacks for the first few seasons under similar circumstances, you have to admit his failures late in games this year.

Continue for a looking at rising and falling stars and the best and worst games of 2019…

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