Dallas Cowboys: Was the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signing a good move?

The Fit in Dallas

You can have the most talented players on your team, but that won’t mean anything if they aren’t a fit on the team. Just take a look at this past season for Dallas.

How does Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fit in Dallas? Well, to start he fills in for former Cowboy Jeff Heath. Why not start with comparing those two?

While Ha Ha gets at least around 80 tackles per season, Heath has only eclipsed that mark once in his career, which was back in 2018. Clinton-Dix also doubles for interceptions and was a starter for more than three seasons, unlike Heath.

The former Packer is a nice upgrade against the run and the pass. You would think the upgrade would be more expensive, right? Well, Clinton-Dix is making only $1 million per season more than Heath.

For that price, the Cowboys got a decently better player. He is just as aggressive as Heath and is much better at playing the ball.

New Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy knows Ha Ha very well after coaching him in Green Bay from 2014-2018. The familiarity will help fit the safety into the new defense run by new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

McCarthy likely was the one to come up with the idea of signing his former Packers safety in the first place. The new aggressive style of defense will bring out how Clinton-Dix played in his old green jersey.

At only $4 million, he ranks 35th in the league among safeties, tied with Daniel Sorensen. You can’t sign a starting safety to a contract that much cheaper.

This allows Ha Ha to fit with Dallas without having to give up anyone else. The contract is also for one year, meaning if he doesn’t play well, Dallas isn’t stuck with a contract after this season.