Why Dallas Cowboys fans are so thirsty for help at safety

Dallas Cowboys fans are nervous about the safety position. Why are they obsessed?

Once again, the Jamal Adams antenna extends high in the sky. The 24-year-old New York Jets safety, a native of Lewisville, Texas, is buzzing around Dallas Cowboys news. Of course, the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft boasts a nice resume.

The LSU product is entering his fourth season with 46 regular-season games under his belt. He owns 273 tackles, 12 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and 25 pass deflections. The six-foot-one safety turns 25 in October.

While it was widely believed that the Dallas Cowboys would select a safety in the 2020 NFL Draft, Big D turned heads when wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was selected at the 17th spot. The Cowboys did counter by selecting two cornerbacks, but once again, a safety card was not turned.

The Dallas Cowboys have not danced in a Super Bowl since 1995. Playoff success since then? Very little.

As a result of this mediocrity, fans point the finger at coaches, players, and referees (Hello, 2014). Sometimes, the blame falls at the owner and general manager, Jerry Jones. Others find it easy to blame the brightest star of all the stars: The quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

Tony Romo got his fair share of criticism. The torch has since been passed to Dak Prescott. There were even echos of sending in backup quarterback Cooper Rush in because Prescott just wasn’t the man for the job.

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You see, there’s no shortage of blame to go around. And if the Dallas Cowboys don’t find their way into the final dance of the 2020 season, you can bet fans will wonder why the team didn’t do enough about the safety position.

Since the 2000 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have selected 13 safeties in total. Of the last 20 draft classes, the Cowboys did not take safety in 11 of those drafts. Since 1961, America’s Team has drafted 24 safeties overall.

In 2002, the Cowboys selected safety Roy Williams with the eighth overall pick. The year prior, Tony Dixon out of Alabama was drafted in the second round, 56th overall, three spots after quarterback Quincy Carter was selected.

The Dallas Cowboys current crop at the safety position include …

The last safety the Dallas Cowboys drafted was Donovan Wilson, a sixth-rounder in the 2019 NFL Draft. Before that selection stands Xavier Woods (2017) and Kavon Frazier (2016).

Frazier joined the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal. He joins former first-round pick, Byron Jones, who played safety and cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys currently have four safeties on their roster. All four are under the age of 30. Three of the four are 25 or younger. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is 27. The rest of the safeties are Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson, and Xavier Woods.

The current safety group doesn’t exactly spark Super Bowl excitement. (Although, I do think Clinton-Dix will surprise.) Which is why fans glue themselves to Jamal Adams. Before Adams, the answer was always Earl Thomas.

So, is obtaining a high caliber safety the answer to all the problems in Big D? Probably not. The cost might cause an unforgivable amount of debt, an enormous dent that could offset all the positive gains the organization has mustered up thus far.

But then again, it’s hard to answer because the Dallas Cowboys have not quenched their thirst either. The safety room hasn’t had a dominant figure since Darren Woodson, who was drafted in 1992 and retired following the 2003 season.

Until that void is filled, I’m afraid the fans will always have something to point at. Certainly, they’ll be thirsty for a true safety until the Dallas Cowboys invest in the next big name.