Dallas Cowboys: Can Josh Norman be a Byron Jones replacement?

Once the hottest name at his position, Josh Norman is looking for a new team. Is he a candidate to replace Byron Jones for the Dallas Cowboys?

After being a hot name back in 2015, cornerback Josh Norman was awarded a hefty contract by the Washington Redskins. He was just cut from the team on Valentine’s Day and is now on the lookout for a new team.

There are mixed thoughts on if the Dallas Cowboys will retain cornerback Byron Jones or not. With a big name in Norman on the market needing new scenery, is he a candidate to replace Jones?

The Case for Norman

Being named as a first-team All-Pro is not an easy thing to do. Well, Norman did that in a season that saw him intercept the ball four times with two of them being returned for touchdowns. He also managed to force three fumbles and recover two of them.

He has a reputation in the league as someone who always plays aggressive and talks a lot of smack. The problem is, his play hasn’t been able to back himself up since he left Carolina. What he has maintained was the same style of play that made him so successful before.

He remains very physical and aggressive. The Redskins did not have the scheme that allowed Norman to play at his best. He needs a similar defensive scheme as cornerback Richard Sherman does.

Both are very smart and physical cornerbacks but lack the speed that is needed to keep up with the speedsters. A team that is willing to keep Norman in a zone with safety help over top will allow him to play his best.

With Dallas’ safety situation, that may be a little bit of a problem. That is unless safety Xavier Woods takes another step up and the Cowboys either draft or sign someone. In that case, it may be enough for Norman to not worry about anything over the top.

His aggressive style of play will allow him to cut off the ball from reaching the receiver or hit them hard enough to knock it out. From there, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will need to put in the zone coverage.