Dallas Cowboys: Removing safety Byron Jones upgrades secondary
Dallas Cowboys 2015 first round pick Byron Jones was forced to split time with sixth rounder Kavon Frazier. Here’s why Jones should be unemployed soon.
Can we finally agree the Dallas Cowboys made a mistake by selecting defensive back Byron Jones with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft?
For three years, I’ve never been able to understand how the broad jump demonstrates elite safety skills. The Cowboys will confess that they don’t understand it either as Jones is slated to move to cornerback in 2018.
Since day one, I’ve written articles referring to Byron Jones as the “Nick Hayden” of NFL Safeties. As a cornerback during his rookie year, Jones was roasted like marshmallows at the National Scout Jamboree. Jones would get beat in coverage, fall down and watch as the receiver he covered waltz into the end-zone.
The next myth is that Jones is awesome at covering tight ends because he guarded New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots won that game by a score of 30 – 6. Gronkowski had 4 catches for 67 yards an average of 16.8 yards per catch.
Jones was frequently and successfully targeted by offensive coordinators when teams reached the red zone. He fails to punish receivers that cross the middle of the field. It’s hard to describe, but Jones tackles soft. Watch highlights of former safety J.J. Wilcox and you’ll see the difference. Wilcox hit things at full speed with reckless abandon. Jones’ tackles are fender benders while Wilcox was a demolition derby.
Jones isn’t a natural ballhawk either. As a safety, he only has two interceptions in three seasons. A pick six against the Washington Redskins on a tipped pass. His second was an interception on a hail mary. By comparison, Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard had 8 interceptions last season. The Tony Romo of safeties, Jeff Heath had three interceptions last season.
My final argument – Byron Jones, the entitled first round draft pick only in-house competition was the undrafted Jeff Heath, former sixth rounder Kavon Frazier and rookie Xavier Woods. Heath has become a game changing playmaker that started from the bottom and earned my adoration after a horrendous rookie year. We should discuss pay cuts for players that lose their spot to an undrafted veteran and a rookie.
Xavier Woods finished his college career at Louisiana Tech with 14 interceptions. Those are numbers that make a quarterback think twice before letting it go deep. Heath just knocks people out with clean hits and that makes receivers think twice before going deep or across the middle.
Next: Dallas Cowboys 2018 NFL Draft - 7 round mock 1.0
How do you improve the Cowboys secondary? The simple solution is to get Byron Jones completely off the field. Heath and Woods played well together and the coaches finally noticed. If only they had listened to me nearly nine months ago when I wrote: Have the Cowboys finally discovered the next great safety duo?
Cowboy Nation – You’re welcome.
#GoCowboys