Dallas Cowboys have a decision to make about Byron Jones
With the offseason getting into full swing, decision time is quickly approaching for the Dallas Cowboys regarding the immediate future of Byron Jones.
Tuesday, February 20th marked the official start of tagging season for NFL teams as they may now begin the process of applying franchise tags. Teams will have up until March 6th to make the decision to use, or not to use, one of the three variations of the franchise tag.
While the franchise tag may be an easier decision for the Dallas Cowboys right now with all signs pointing toward defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence receiving the “exclusive” tag if a long term deal cannot be reached before March 6th. A more difficult decision will have to be made regarding fourth-year safety Byron Jones.
The Cowboys have until May 2th to determine whether or not they want to exercise a fifth year option on Jones, their 2015 first round pick. He would stand to make $8 million as a safety or $9 million as a corner if his fifth-year option is picked up.
A lot has also been made so far this very early offseason of the Cowboys potentially moving Jones back to corner which is where they originally started him in his rookie season before flipping him to safety.
While the move may seem like a reasonable one considering the past success he has had in the slot and while matching up with pass catching tight ends, this is not the same secondary that was around when Jones was initially playing corner his rookie season.
This cornerback stable that currently resides in Dallas has the potential to be the focal point of the defense in the future if everything comes together just right. Rookies Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods showed massive potential during their rookie campaigns.
Woods has shown the potential to be a safety/slot corner hybrid (like Jones) while Lewis also showed flashes this year while playing underneath. And while second year corner Anthony Brown struggled during his sophomore season, there is no denying the potential he showed as a sixth round rookie just last season.
Where would Jones fit into this cornerback rotation? Would he even be the best slot corner currently on the team? Would he serve you best staying at his current safety position?
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Byron Jones has the athletic ability and the intelligence to play both safety and in the slot when needed. I feel like there is this “need” to find Jones a permanent position. Is it a crazy idea to utilize Jones as a utility man and take advantage of his unique skill set?