Where do the Dallas Cowboys have a position surplus?

Cornerbacks

This was very odd to type and I’m sure you will have some serious questions about my judgment but this is an area where the Dallas Cowboys could possibly make a move. It doesn’t initially make sense to trade away a position the team is weak at but I will make an interesting point.

As the saying goes, “if you have two quarterbacks vying for the starting job you really don’t have one”. The same concept can be applied to this position group. Other than Trevon Diggs, who is going to break through and get the majority of playing time opposite of him?

Last year I thought then defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was going to dip into the analytics department and figure out what type of cornerbacks do certain receivers struggle with. Since the Dallas Cowboys team had a variety of different cornerbacks, I figured they would try and match up strength with weakness.

For example, I think Trevon Diggs excels at covering bigger wideouts while he struggles with smaller quicker receivers. I think Jourdan Lewis is the exact opposite minus his battles against New Orleans wideout Michael Thomas.

Having a variety of cornerbacks that can be played to their strength might be a trick up Dan Quinn’s sleeve.

Teams usually carry about five to six cornerbacks on the team. I would assume Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown will be the primary corners while Jourdan Lewis and Maurice Canady provide the veteran backup policy. Rookie selections Kelvin Joseph and Nashon Wright round out the top six which leaves a few bodies behind.

C.J. Goodwin rarely plays on defense as he is a core special teams player. Keeping him gives you seven cornerbacks on the team so where does that leave him and Reggie Robinson?

Like Brandon Knight before, Robinson could go back to bouncing between safety and cornerback to make the numbers work but he is already at number eight on the depth chart. The team drafted Israel Makuama and converted him to safety so his path to making the 53 feel slim.

Training camp will definitely have a say in who plays where and who might be available but with so much uncertainty regarding the Dallas pass defense, a couple of these players might have their roles and playing time reduced so that the team can try and sneak them onto the practice squad.

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys went short on safety while carrying six cornerbacks counting C.J. Goodwin. Robinson was the swing seventh who bounced back and forth making it a total of ten defensive backs. Although the roster is always evolving, the three safeties that are basic locks to make the team make for an interesting bottom-of-the-position group battle.

Will the Dallas Cowboys give the known veterans the nod or will the team just bite the bullet now in favor of getting these young kids acclimated to the professional game. No matter the choice, there are going t be a few bodies left out in the cold.