Why do the Dallas Cowboys hate the safety and nose tackle positions?
By Matt Aaron
Three Hated Positions?
That leaves out quarterback, safety, and nose tackle. Of those three positions, the Cowboys have gotten flat-out lucky with the quarterback position, nabbing Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott with a mere fourth-round pick.
They probably would have also used more premium picks on the tight end position if they hadn’t been so fortunate with the longevity and great play of Jason Witten. That leaves nose tackle and safety. And really, when I say nose tackle, I mean run-stuffing defensive tackles in general.
The defensive tackles the Cowboys have drafted in recent years, Maliek Collins and Trysten Hill, were both chosen as Marinelli’s prototypical three-technique under-tackle. Both specialize in rushing the quarterback more than stopping the run. Former Cowboy, retired defensive tackle David Irving did too.
It just so happens that safety and nose tackle are the two weakest position groupings on the team. I don’t mean any disrespect to Antwaun Woods here. I think Woods has been pretty good. He’s been a competent starting nose tackle for the Cowboys, and I think he could start for some other teams.
But he’s not a Pro Bowler, and the Cowboys didn’t draft him. They signed him as an undrafted free agent. Woods is also the only decent run-stuffer on the team. Collins has been poor against the run, especially this year.
And when Woods was out with injury, back-up nose tackle Christian Covington didn’t perform nearly as well. Rookie Trysten Hill, meanwhile, has been invisible.
As for the safety position, the team hasn’t spent much draft capital there either. Dallas drafted starting safety Xavier Woods with a sixth-round pick in 2016, and signed Jeff Heath as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
Their backups don’t have pedigrees any more impressive. Again, none of these players are Pro Bowlers. Xavier Woods has been solid, while Heath has been up and down, often missing open-field tackles. Consequently, fans have been clamoring for help at safety for years.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys front office has consistently refused to spend any serious resources on the position. They flirted with trading for Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas, then made noise about signing him as a free agent, but ultimately passed both times.
Too expensive on both counts. Just this week, we witnessed a similar spectacle with Pro Bowl New York Jets safety Jamal Adams. Once again, they made an offer, but came up short.