Dallas Cowboys: Who wins the starting safety job in 2020?

Within a talented Dallas Cowboys roster, they still continue to have concerns at the safety position.

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t had a dominant safety since Darren Woodson patrolled the secondary for the Boys. The team will have to take a close look at their secondary this season and perhaps the new coaching staff might have to even make some positional changes this upcoming season.

With the new acquisition of safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, we begin to see an upgrade in the back-end of this Dallas secondary. However, who is the favorite to be his partner at the other safety position?

I won’t sit here and harp on the idea of still landing New York Jets safety Jamal Adams. It’s now becoming a long dragged out saga that has all the emotions similar to last year with safety Earl Thomas.

In a perfect world, I’m sure the majority of Cowboys fans would love to see a tandem of Clinton-Dix and Adams. But at this point, it’s almost wishful thinking.

So, let’s move onto players that Dallas has under contract. When you take a look at the depth chart you will see safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Xavier Woods, Darian Thompson, and Donovan Wilson. With Clinton-Dix nearly guaranteed a job, we’d assume. That leaves Woods, Thompson, and Wilson fighting for the free safety position.

Who wins the Dallas Cowboys’ starting safety job?

Of the three listed safeties of Woods, Thompson, and Wilson on the Cowboys depth chart you would have to give the advantage to Woods before the Boys launch into training camp. Who started 29 games over the past two seasons for the Boys and tallied four interceptions and 133 combined tackles.

But, I am intrigued to see how the second-year player Wilson performs in camp. I found it interesting that we never heard from him all last season during his rookie year after having three interceptions during the preseason. I mean was former safety Jeff Heath that much better?

As for Thompson, he will get his shot, but just as our rival New York Giants fans saw he will not live up to his ability. During his 2016 rookie year, he barely saw the field and in 2017, he started all 16 games for the Giants and recorded 1 interception and 75 combined tackles.

During his last two seasons on the Cowboys, he started four games, all of them being last year in which he played average at best. But Thompson will be a key special teams member and a very serviceable backup.

With that being said, I will give the early lead to Woods to land a starting safety job opposite Clinton-Dix. But could we see a potential wild card in the secondary that could shake things up?

Position Change?

Recently this off-season, we heard rumors of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie moving to free safety in which he did play in college as well.

Under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan this position swap is still a very large possibility with the need for a safety with good ball skills, range, and the ability to play in a one high look, which would also allow Clinton-Dix to play near the box.

This may most certainly make the Cowboys more dynamic in the secondary, especially at safety, but will it make the entire secondary better overall is the real question?

The Perfect Lineup

Moving Awuzie to safety may seem like a great idea to some, but to answer the above question of will it make the entire secondary better? Your answer is no.

The Cowboys secondary is one of, if not the weakest part of the entire team. With the loss of cornerback Byron Jones, it made Dallas very thin with talent at the cornerback position.

Luckily, they were able to get great value by drafting cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round, who many are hoping will be a day 1 starter for the Boys this upcoming season. Moving Awuzie to safety would give you Diggs and who at cornerback?

You’d be left with cornerbacks Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, C.J. Goodwin, Daryl Worley, and rookie Reggie Robinson II.

Brown and Lewis could play outside if that was an only option, but we all know their strength is covering in the slot. Recently acquired free agent Goodwin would be unreliable if given a starting job.

The biggest wild card is Worley, who is in his fifth year and has started every game in three of the four season at both Carolina and Oakland. Keep an eye on him during camp. I also love the traits of the rookie Robinson, but we have to see the kid play first.

Given the Cowboys current roster, the perfect lineup for their secondary would be Diggs and Awuzie at cornerback, with Lewis and Brown as your nickelbacks. At safety, I would use the tandem of Clinton-Dix and Woods.

CBS Sportswriter Patrik Walker would disagree with me and I found his depth chart interesting for the 2020 Cowboys secondary. He gives the nod to Worley as his Week One starter.

Now by no means is this a perfect lineup in the true sense of the word, but for the Cowboys, this will be as perfect as it gets with the current roster. Cowboys Nation let me hear your thoughts on the safety position and the secondary overall.