The Dallas Cowboys have more work to do in the secondary, but new signings Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant raise the floor and offer upside with their ball skills.
Durant was the most consistent member of a volatile Los Angeles Rams secondary, and he arrives right after leading all players with three interceptions in the playoffs. His nose for the football will be a welcome addition to a Dallas defense that only picked off six passes during the regular season.
Durant understands the importance of creating takeaways and getting the ball back to Dak Prescott and the offense (h/t Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' official website).
"Just create takeaways and get the ball back to Dak. Let Dak do what he do. I'm excited for it. Like I said, got great guys in that secondary and I'm just here to add on.
They're getting a guy that the media says is too small. But you know, it ain't all about the size of the dog, it's the size of the heart in the dog. 'The Landshark's' coming to make plays and add on to this defense."
New Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant is clearly a big fan of Dak Prescott
"Let Dak do what he do." Print the t-shirts.
Anyone who thinks that Prescott and the offense didn't hold up their end of the bargain last season simply didn't watch the games. Durant certainly agrees.
While the offense needs to be more lethal in the red zone, we're talking about a unit that finished 5th in EPA per play (0.08), sixth in success rate (45.98 percent), and tied for sixth in EPA per pass (0.16), per SÅ«mer Sports.
Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams forged a QB-friendly ecosystem, but Prescott played out of his mind. On top of ranking fifth in EPA per play among quarterbacks (minimum 500 plays), he was third in passing yards, fourth in touchdowns, and fifth in QBR.
That's wildly impressive considering he had zero margin for error every week. The hope is that Durant and Thompson will take some of the pressure off.
It isn't sustainable to have to score 30 points every week. There is too much week-to-week fluctuation in the NFL, and that bore out as the Cowboys won just seven games despite having a video game offense.
It was debilitating enough that Dallas' defense couldn't stop a nosebleed, but splash plays were nowhere to be found. Beyond intercepting just six passes, they only recovered six fumbles, and only two players had more than 5.0 sacks. Those numbers should improve with improved personnel and coaching.
The Cowboys will go as far as Prescott takes them, but he can't do it alone.
Durant made that clear in his first words as a Cowboy by stressing the importance of getting the ball back in QB1's hands. He clearly appreciates Dak's game despite watching from afar.