Despite entering Week 3 of the 2020 season, the Dallas Cowboys continue to carousel players in and out of the lineup opposite Safety Xavier Woods. For whatever reason they still haven’t been able to find the right player to pair with Woods, which sadly means this rotation will likely continue until someone emerges from the pack. At least, that’s what Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan indicated recently.
Cowboys rotated Darian Thompson, Brandon Carr and Daryl Worley at safety Sunday opposite Xavier Woods. DC Mike Nolan would like to commit to one once someone jumps out. Not there yet. "At this point right now, we're going to continue to work those guys."
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 21, 2020
If you ask me, the Dallas Cowboys are playing with fire sticking with this rotation. And, we all know what happens when you play with fire…you’re going to end up getting burned.
That’s exactly what’s been happening to the Dallas Cowboys secondary so for this season. They’ve looked outmatched the first two weeks this season and a lot of that has to do with the safety position still being unsettled. The ongoing rotation could provide the solution, or maybe someone from the outside is the answer.
No offense to Darian Thompson, Brandon Carr, or Daryl Worley, but the fact none of them have been able to lock up the job by now is pretty telling in my opinion. Granted Carr just rejoined the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago, but still he’s been a cornerback majority of his career before making the switch to safety out of necessity last year with the Baltimore Ravens.
I honestly believe the Dallas Cowboys might be best served to look outside the organization to find Xavier Woods’ counterpart. It’s time for them to quit expecting a backup who was incapable of outplaying Jeff Heath (Darian Thompson) or two CBs trying to convert to safety (Brandon Carr, Daryl Worley) as starting caliber players and turn to someone who’s actually proven themselves capable of doing the job.
I know the first name that will pop into your head is Earl Thomas, and rightfully so. For whatever reason, good or bad, he’s still available on the open market. He would no doubt come in and solidify the position, however, the Cowboys don’t really seem to be interested in going that route. Surprisingly enough though, there are some other pretty good options out there besides ET.
Tony Jefferson, Reshad Jones, and Eric Reid would also probably be upgrades if paired with Xavier Woods. Both Jones and Reid are proven Pro Bowl players and Jefferson has had quite a bit of success himself with both the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens. Like Earl Thomas, all three makes sense for the Dallas Cowboys.
I really don’t know how much longer the Dallas Cowboys can afford to sit on their hands waiting for someone to emerge opposite Xavier Woods. They need someone to solidify the position as soon as possible. Looking outside the organization may or may not be the answer, however, promoting from within might not be either. Whatever they decide to do needs to be done quickly.
