ByRainer Sabin / Reporter
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
2:30 PM on Mon., Jan. 30, 2012 | Permalink
When the Cowboys agreed to a five-year, $22 million contract extension with Gerald Sensabaugh in December, they made a longstanding commitment to a safety they had previously deemed worthy of a short-term investment.
The transaction invited skepticism, in part because there wasn't a marked spike in Sensabaugh's performance. In fact, by the time the Giants finished off the Cowboys on New Year's Day, Sensabuagh had fewer passes defended and interceptions than he had accumulated the year before.
He was also a featured member of a secondary that seemed as incapable of making consequential plays as it was prone to allowing them.
At the time, the decision to lengthen Sensabaugh's term of employment appeared premature especially in light of the fact that the 28-year-old never had a host of suitors courting him in the free-agent market. That perception still exists among a legion of doubters who also believe that the move itself was terribly restrictive.
Instead of having the option to choose which safety position they want to upgrade, the Cowboys have pigeonholed themselves and made Abram Elam the de facto candidate for replacement.
Yet Elam seemed to play his position just as competently as Sensabaugh did last season. Although Elam didn't defend any passes or make any interceptions, he did lead the league in coverage tackles, according to ProFootballFocus.com. He is also the only member of the Cowboys' defensive backfield who has worked under new secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who called Elam "one of the best people I know."
"He cares about his teammates, cares about football, works his butt off, studies, prepares, competes. He's tough," Henderson added. "I love the kid."
Elam's best asset is his knowledge of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's system and his understanding of the scheme covered up the fact that he has limited range and cover skills. But as the offseason nears, Elam is set to become a free agent after the one-year, $2.5 million contract he signed with the Cowboys last summer expires. Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that Elam's future with the team remains unclear as it looks to address the secondary's shortcomings.
"We'll have to see how it goes," Jones said. "He was a QB. He really knew the defense. It's not a given but it wouldn't be a surprise for him to be there on the team."
But if the Cowboys really want to improve the personnel at the safety position, can they afford to bring back Elam? Can progress be achieved by maintaining the status quo?
These are questions that are now being asked because of the commitment the Cowboys made to Gerald Sensabaugh in December, when they chose security over flexibility at a time when changes appeared to be on the horizon.
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
2:30 PM on Mon., Jan. 30, 2012 | Permalink
When the Cowboys agreed to a five-year, $22 million contract extension with Gerald Sensabaugh in December, they made a longstanding commitment to a safety they had previously deemed worthy of a short-term investment.
The transaction invited skepticism, in part because there wasn't a marked spike in Sensabaugh's performance. In fact, by the time the Giants finished off the Cowboys on New Year's Day, Sensabuagh had fewer passes defended and interceptions than he had accumulated the year before.
He was also a featured member of a secondary that seemed as incapable of making consequential plays as it was prone to allowing them.
At the time, the decision to lengthen Sensabaugh's term of employment appeared premature especially in light of the fact that the 28-year-old never had a host of suitors courting him in the free-agent market. That perception still exists among a legion of doubters who also believe that the move itself was terribly restrictive.
Instead of having the option to choose which safety position they want to upgrade, the Cowboys have pigeonholed themselves and made Abram Elam the de facto candidate for replacement.
Yet Elam seemed to play his position just as competently as Sensabaugh did last season. Although Elam didn't defend any passes or make any interceptions, he did lead the league in coverage tackles, according to ProFootballFocus.com. He is also the only member of the Cowboys' defensive backfield who has worked under new secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who called Elam "one of the best people I know."
"He cares about his teammates, cares about football, works his butt off, studies, prepares, competes. He's tough," Henderson added. "I love the kid."
Elam's best asset is his knowledge of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's system and his understanding of the scheme covered up the fact that he has limited range and cover skills. But as the offseason nears, Elam is set to become a free agent after the one-year, $2.5 million contract he signed with the Cowboys last summer expires. Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that Elam's future with the team remains unclear as it looks to address the secondary's shortcomings.
"We'll have to see how it goes," Jones said. "He was a QB. He really knew the defense. It's not a given but it wouldn't be a surprise for him to be there on the team."
But if the Cowboys really want to improve the personnel at the safety position, can they afford to bring back Elam? Can progress be achieved by maintaining the status quo?
These are questions that are now being asked because of the commitment the Cowboys made to Gerald Sensabaugh in December, when they chose security over flexibility at a time when changes appeared to be on the horizon.
