Tag: Donovan Wilson

Coaching turnover could attract turnover-magnet Donovan Wilson to Cowboys rotation

Donovan Wilson’s penchant for creating turnovers might lead to him to becoming a surprise answer for the Dallas Cowboys at safety.

When people talk about the Dallas Cowboys and the safety position, it’s usually who can they bring in to pair with one of their starting safeties. Xavier Woods has solidified one safety spot and the team signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to likely next to him.

However, that didn’t stop the fans from wishing stud safety Jamal Adams would be traded to Dallas. While it didn’t happen and Adams was eventually shipped to Seattle for a Sound-emptying bounty, there might be another Dallas safety to keep an eye on for the upcoming season, second-year man Donovan Wilson.

Playing his college ball at Texas A&M, Wilson was known as a big hitter despite not having outstanding athleticism. His draft profile showed a prospect unafraid to come down into the box and deliver the boom on ball carriers. Yet it wouldn’t be fair to label him as just a physical presence because Wilson also had a nose for the ball, picking off eight passes for the Aggies.

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The Cowboys drafted Wilson and he quickly made an impression last summer. The rookie picked off three passes in the preseason, which had to have gotten the attention of the coaching staff, and endeared him to the fan base. For a team that has lacked a ball hawk in the secondary for years, seeing the interceptions, even in exhibition games, was a sight for sore eyes.

With the Cowboys constantly on the lookout for safeties and turnovers, Wilson was making his case to make the team as a late-round pick, making the 53-man roster out of training camp.

During the 2019 season, Wilson did see action in 11 games, but didn’t make much an impact. With Woods, Jeff Heath and Darian Thompson garnering most of the playing time, Wilson wasn’t called upon much.

Not much has changed in front of Wilson for the upcoming season. There are still three veteran safeties ahead of the second-year player: Woods, Clinton-Dix and Thompson.

However, to complicate things even further, there are rumors about the Cowboys possibly moving corner Chidobe Awuzie to safety. If that happens, that’s a good deal of traffic in front of Wilson, who will be fighting for a roster spot again in 2020.

Wilson looks determined to not allow that to happen. He put in the work this offseason and appears ready to win a job.

A potential positive for Wilson are the new defensive coaches. Wilson never seemed to get a real look in the regular season under Rod Marinelli’s staff, but he’ll have a clean slate under new DC Mike Nolan. If the Cowboys remain serious about creating more turnovers, Wilson could be in line for a jump in snaps his sophomore season.

Wilson also now has a familiar face in his corner; the Cowboys hired Maurice Linguist as a defensive backs coach. Linguist arrives from Texas A&M, where he helped coach Wilson in 2018.

It feels like the Cowboys are in a never-ending search for quality safeties. Wilson may have been a late-round flyer, but he made plays last preseason to warrant a long look at becoming a bigger part of the safety rotation. His ball skills alone could help a secondary that has issues creating turnovers.

Even without a top spot in the pecking order at safety, at the very least, Wilson should be a core specials teams player.

There won’t be a preseason this year to see how much Wilson has improved, but don’t be surprised if he makes an impact in some way for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.

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 | Reggie Robinson |

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Cowboys News: Gallup leap in Year 3? CB has Covid, Kicker comp is off

Michael Gallup doubled his production in 2019 from his rookie campaign, but improving his drop issues and playing alongside CeeDee Lamb could see his numbers increase even more. Even after resigning with the team in March, kicker Kai Forbath was released on Saturday.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup doubled his production from his rookie campaign in 2019. However, improving on his drop issues coupled with the addition of CeeDee Lamb could see his game reach an even higher plateau this season. Kicker Kai Forbath re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year deal in March, but with a longer investment tied into the new special teams coach’s guy made a decision before the competition.

Safety Donovan Wilson shined during last year’s preseason but will have a much tougher route in 2020 with exhibition games being eliminated as he looks to compete for a starting role. The current pandemic has again landed at the Cowboys doorstep as cornerback Saivion Smith has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Stephen Jones’s excitement about the receiving corps, how Mike McCarthy embracing analytics could lead to huge results, and where Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott land in a 2016 redraft and more are covered in the news and notes.

Cowboys reserve cornerback Saivion Smith diagnosed with COVID-19 :: Dallas Morning News

Saivion Smith becomes the second Cowboys player (Jon’Vea Johnson) to land on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. This brings the total of players impacted through quarantine or opt out to four.

Mike McCarthy’s embracing of analytics could be the key difference for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys :: Blogging The Boys

Mike McCarthy let it be known that he became up to date with the analytical side of football during his time away from the NFL, and that could lead to monster success in 2020.

S Donovan Wilson Facing Challenging 2nd Year Without Preseason Games :: Inside The Star

Safety Donovan Wilson was the Cowboys defensive standout during last year’s preseason with three interceptions. Unfortunately, the versatile second-year talent is facing a tough 2020 with exhibition games now canceled.

Stephen Jones hasn’t ‘seen anything like’ Cowboys WR corps :: NFL

The addition of CeeDee Lamb has Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones excited about the team’s aerial assault.

Plexiglass, trackers and high-tech laundry: From Jerry Jones on down, rigorous COVID-19 protocols await Cowboys :: Dallas Morning News

Extreme measures have been taken to keep The Star in Frisco safe for all Cowboys players and personnel.

How DeMarcus Ware opened a fitness center during a pandemic :: ESPN

Former Cowboys great DeMarcus Ware has used his time during the COVID-19 pandemic constructively by opening up a fitness center.

After an impressive 2019 campaign, Michael Gallup can take another leap in 2020 :: Blogging The Boys

Improving on his drop issue and having CeeDee Lamb as a member of the Cowboys receiving corp could see Michael Gallup take his game to another level in 2020.

Covid-19 ends Cowboys kicker comp before it starts, Forbath released :: Cowboys Wire

Even after signing him to a one-year deal in March, the Cowboys have released kicker Kai Forbath, leaving Greg Zuerlein as the only player at the position on the roster.

Prescott No.1 in 2016 redraft, Cowboys’ Elliott drops out of Top 10 :: Cowboys Wire

A redraft of the 2016 NFL Draft has new landing spots for Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. The former went from a fourth-rounder to the top overall pick, while the latter fell out of the top 10 after being drafted fourth overall.

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News: Dak’s no-deal fallout, Aldon Smith’s hand workout, NFLPA talking opt-out

In addition to dissecting Prescott’s no-deal, we check names to know in training camp and a high school visit by Ezekiel Elliott.

So… anything happening in Cowboys Nation?

In this edition of News and Notes, get up to speed on what went down between the Joneses and Dak Prescott as Wednesday’s deadline came and went. Of particular interest: reports of a last-minute Hail Mary attempt, social media reactions from fans (including Prescott’s own blood), winners and losers, and the chances of Prescott staying with the organization beyond 2020.

In non-Dak developments, an update regarding players who may be considering opting out of the COVID-19 season, Aldon Smith’s impressive handwork, names to know as training camp nears, and Ezekiel Elliott going back to high school. Here’s what Cowboys fans need to know today.

Dak deadline passes: Cowboys’ Prescott to play 2020 under tag :: Cowboys Wire

The biggest news of the day was the thing that didn’t happen. Now any long-term contract discussions between Prescott and the front office are on hold until the 2020 season is over.

Report: Cowboys tried at ‘last minute’ to do long-term Prescott deal :: Cowboys Wire

NFL Network’s Jane Slater revealed shortly after Wednesday’s deadline that there was an eleventh-hour conversation between the two sides.

Twitter reactions: Prescott’s brother doesn’t know how much longer he’ll root for Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire

Opinions flooded the Twittersphere upon news of the contract impasse, with Dak’s older brother offering one of the more notable takes regarding the team’s loyalty to his star sibling.

Cowboys don’t have cap space to tag Prescott again in 2021 :: Cowboys Wire

K.D. Drummond breaks down the Cowboys’ cap situation for next season. Contrary to what many are saying, tagging Dak Prescott again may not be in the cards after all.

No deal for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys: Picking winners, losers, and dominoes :: ESPN

Among those Bill Barnwell thinks have to be pleased with Wednesday’s signing snafu: the Colts, Patriots, Jaguars, and the rest of the NFC East. Losers? Deshaun Watson, Cam Newton, and us. (Dak Prescott himself makes both lists.)

Ranking tagged players based on who’s most likely to stay put in ’21 :: NFL.com

Guess who’s number one? “The most tiresome debate in sports television just got renewed for another season!” says Around the NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal about the Prescott/Cowboys soap opera.

NFLPA makes key demands for opt-out, guarantee stipends :: Cowboys Wire

With training camps set to begin in a couple weeks, the NFLPA makes specific demands of the NFL for the 2020 season.

Aldon Smith is working on his hands in this training video :: Blogging The Boys

Aldon Smith is looking to make a monster comeback after a five-year absence, and he showed off his hand workouts in a recent training video.

Film room: 3 Cowboys you shouldn’t forget about heading into camp, including a young safety with upside :: Dallas Morning News

John Owning talks about how Donovan Wilson, C.J. Goodwin, and Ventell Bryant may be names to remember as training camp draws near.

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News: Cowboys run NFCE, shortened preseason not set in stone

Also, the most experienced McCarthy team ever, all-time W-L records in the NFC East, and four positional battles to watch at Cowboys camp.

The NFL preseason has never had so much hype. After scrapping the annual Hall of Fame Game between the Cowboys and Steelers, the league announced it planned to call off two games from every team’s summer schedule on Wednesday. But as of Wednesday night, the player’s union had reportedly not agreed to that yet, and was even calling into question whether there should be any preseason games at all in 2020. The exhibition games no one ever cares about are suddenly the top story in the sport.

Also worth noting in Cowboys Nation are looks at the Dallas roster in terms of experience, as well as what they could steal from having watched another club’s recent successes. There’s a deep dive into sack stats and how O-line play and QB skills both factor in. We’ve got video of Cowboys rookies showing off their moves, and a preview of several compelling camp battles at certain key positions. 49ers fans are reliving the day they denied the Dallas dynasty, but Cowboys fans are tallying up the total wins to determine an all-time division leader. Here are your News and Notes for July 1.

NFLPA has not signed off on shortened preseason :: NFL.com

Just hours after word leaked that the league would drop two preseason games for each team from the preseason schedule, NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo and Tom Pelissero report that the Players Association has not come to any decision on the move. In fact, “there are some within union leadership who continue to question whether it’s a smart move to play any preseason games at all.”

Cowboys lose 2 preseason games to Covid-19, NFL alters schedule :: Cowboys Wire

Pray they don’t alter it further. The Cowboys are now down a total of three (of a scheduled five) preseason games, though one was even more meaningless than the rest.

Is This Mike McCarthy’s Most Experienced Team? :: The Mothership

When thinking of experienced teams, the default is to focus on the quarterback. Interestingly enough, scribe Rob Phillips points out that only 12 quarterbacks in the current NFL have more starting experience than Dak Prescott. Time flies.

Ultimate all-time Dallas Cowboys rosters: Bob Sturm breaks down his draft :: The Athletic

Sturm fires back at Jon Machota and drafts basically the entirety of the 90’s dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four years. It’s a sound strategy, to be honest.

Reliving the 49ers vs. Cowboys NFC Championship games from the ‘90s :: Niners Nation

The 49ers-centric SB Nation blog does a trip down memory lane with one of the greatest rivalries the sport had to offer. Unsurprisingly, they focus on the 1994 NFC Championship- where the Cowboys spotted San Francisco 21 points yet still managed to make the game close late- instead of the previous two losses. There’s no accounting for taste.

Prescott, not Cowboys’ vaunted OL, responsible for big-play development :: Cowboys Wire

Is Dak Prescott’s ability to stay alive for long-developing plays a product of the usually-stellar offensive line in front of him… or his own athletic skills at the position? Our Tony Thompson dives in to the stats.

Some teams are thinking about game-day travel in 2020 :: ProFootballTalk

This is pure speculation at this point, and for some teams it seems nearly impossible. It’s unclear how players would have to deplane after a long flight and start playing almost immediately.

Four Cowboys training camp battles to keep an eye on :: Blogging the Boys

Look for veteran Joe Thomas and promising second-year man Luke Gifford to duke it out on the linebacker depth chart. Darian Thompson and Donovan Wilson will compete in the secondary. Trysten Hill looks to prove his doubters wrong as he battles rookie Neville Gallimore along the defensive line. And Joe Looney gets competition from newbie center Tyler Biadasz.

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