The Cowboys have a hole at safety. And they finally seem to want to fill it.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that free agent free safety Damontae Kazee is expected to visit the Cowboys next week. Kazee was most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, where he played under former head coach Dan Quinn.
Free agent FS Damontae Kazee is expected to visit Cowboys next week, source said. He’s coming off an Oct. 5 Achilles tear but tied for NFL lead with 10 combined interceptions in 2018-2019. DC Dan Quinn, secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. know him well from time in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/g0ZEdSogYU
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 19, 2021
As noted in the attached tweet, Kazee is coming off a torn achilles injury in 2020, but his familiarity with new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn makes this an clear connection. Kazee is obviously comfortable in Quinn’s scheme, and would fit an immediate need for this Cowboys defense.
Damontae Kazee is a former fifth round pick from the 2017 draft, who had an incredible 7 interception season back in 2018. He played in all 16 games his first three seasons, before missing almost the entirety of 2020 due to the aforementioned achilles injury.
This strong interest in Kazee makes me believe that Xavier Woods should not be expected back in Dallas next season. Woods, who was taken in the sixth round of that same 2017 draft, was an absolute win for a late day three pick. He started 48 games over four seasons, after all.
But with that being said, everyone can realize it’s probably time to upgrade at the position.
If Kazee were to sign, he could be paired with 2020 breakout player Donovan Wilson to create a nice safety duo. With Kazee playing free and Wilson playing strong, maybe the Cowboys would have their answers at safety for 2021.