Dallas Cowboys 2018 Positional Breakdown: Secondary
The Dallas Cowboys defensive secondary survived a free agency exodus in 2017. But how much can the youth movement grow in Year Two?
In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys defensive secondary was made up of veterans like safety Barry Church and cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. Last year, those names changed to safety Xavier Woods and cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. All of whom were rookies as well as vital members of Dallas’ defensive secondary in 2017.
A year removed from that forced youth movement, and this Cowboys defense appears to be on an uptick. Not only did the total defense improve from 14th in 2016 to 8th last season, but now Dallas’ backfield is stocked with brimming young talent. Let’s review the Cowboys current roster in the defensive secondary and consider their future in Big D.
Defensive Secondary
Roster
Byron Jones, S
Jeff Heath, S
Chidobe Awuzie, CB
Jourdan Lewis, CB
Anthony Brown, CB
Xavier Woods, S
Duke Thomas, CB
Marquez White, CB
Jameill Showers, S
2018 Free Agents
Bene Benwikere, CB
Breakdown
Both Awuize and Lewis appear to be the future of the cornerback position in Dallas moving forward. But don’t count out Anthony Brown, who had a bit of a down season in his second year but could easily rebound. A sleeper to watch this offseason is Duke Thomas, who flashed potential in the preseason prior to suffering a season-ending foot injury.
Next: Why defensive line is the top priority in Dallas
At safety, it appears Jeff Heath did enough to earn himself another crack at the starting safety position. The same can not be said for Byron Jones, as the former first round selection was forced to split snaps with Kavon Frazier in the latter half of the season. Finding a place for Jones on this defense must be a priority this offseason. Finally, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Orlando Scandrick released due to the young talent on this team.