Healthy Akwasi Looks To Continue Development

[sbk92]

Roster Rundown

Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer


(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah.)

Name: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-0/208
Experience: One season
College: Indiana (Pa.)

Key stat: Eleven lost games. Injuries curtailed Owusu-Ansah's rookie development. He missed the first two preseason games with shoulder and hamstring injuries, then sat out the final nine regular-season games with a high ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve.

Contract Status: Signed through 2013.

2010 Impact: Injuries, veteran depth and a position switch - he mostly played cornerback at Indiana (Pa.) - prevented Owusu-Ansah from making a defensive impact. He mostly played special teams as the primary kickoff returner, averaging 21.7 yards on 25 returns before his season-ending ankle injury.

Where He Fits: To be determined. There might not be a realistic starting job available for Owusu-Ansah if the Cowboys pursue a veteran free agent safety when the new league year opens, as well as attempt to re-sign starting strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh. But at the very least he'll compete at kick returner and for a spot in the secondary rotation. As a former cornerback, he also has the ability to move into the slot in certain packages.

Writers' Analysis:

Rob Phillips: By avoiding one in the draft, the Cowboys haven't forgotten about developing their young safeties: Owusu-Ansah, Barry Church and Danny McCray. As the draft continued, they determined the safeties left on the board weren't better than those guys. Remember, Owusu-Ansah (a fourth-rounder in 2010) needs time to develop after coming from a small school and missing so much time with injuries. But he'll be one to watch if there's a full training camp.

Josh Ellis: In what little we got to see out of Owusu-Ansah last year, I came away fairly impressed, mainly because the stage never seemed too big for him, even though he was coming from a small school and even though he had to sit out all summer and most of training camp with the injury. He seemed to have some coverage instincts when he played during the preseason, and the athletic ability is there. I don't believe the Cowboys will be able to bring in two new veteran safeties through free agency, so honestly, I wouldn't surprised at all to see him competing for and winning a starting job at free safety.

 

[Mr.Po]

He is the one player I was looking forward to the most watching in preseason. It would be nice to have our own draft pick step up into that starters role and prove his worth unlike Ball.

 

[Cr122]

He is the one player I was looking forward to the most watching in preseason. It would be nice to have our own draft pick step up into that starters role and prove his worth unlike Ball.

Mine as well along with Sean Lee.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I don't know what Ellis was watching in preseason, but the kid looked lost.

 

[Midswat]

I don't believe the Cowboys will be able to bring in two new veteran safeties through free agency, so honestly, I wouldn't surprised at all to see him competing for and winning a starting job at free safety.

Highly unlikely.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

SBK is high on this guy, and he seems to have the athletic ability to do the job. I'm just hesitant to project him as being a factor at safety this year due to his recent trend of injuries resulting in a lack of playing time.

 

[Midswat]

I liked him when we drafted him, and I think he has a future with the team, but I don't think a 2nd year player from a small school, who missed the majority of his rookie season, going through a position change, a change in a defensive scheme, and at the same time having to sit idly by during a lockout has a snowballs chance in hell at starting at free safety in 2011.

 

[Mr.Po]

I liked him when we drafted him, and I think he has a future with the team, but I don't think a 2nd year player from a small school, who missed the majority of his rookie season, going through a position change, a change in a defensive scheme, and at the same time having to sit idly by during a lockout has a snowballs chance in hell at starting at free safety in 2011.

So your saying there's a chance?

With Ball's FS audition it pretty much was........"You've hung around this long, you look the part, why not?"

 

[MichaelWinicki]

So your saying there's a chance?

With Ball's FS audition it pretty much was........"You've hung around this long, you look the part, why not?"

There's some merit in what you're saying. But Ball had been here for what 3 years? So he had a little more indoctrination. And it his limited time in the field, Ball did play well.

I still wonder how much of Ball's issues had to do with the lame training camps Phillips employed while the head coach.

But still I would expect Elam or Huff to be a Dallas Cowboy come the start of next season... Whenever that will be.

 

[Midswat]

Ball won't be the free safety.

If it were Ball and AOA battling it out in camp, I'd say AOA wins that one hands down.

Rather, I think we sign a free safety. Huff or/and Elam seem like natural fits. In fact, if we signed both and said goodby to both our 2010 starting safeties, I'd be for it.

 

[Mr.Po]

There's some merit in what you're saying. But Ball had been here for what 3 years? So he had a little more indoctrination. And it his limited time in the field, Ball did play well.

I still wonder how much of Ball's issues had to do with the lame training camps Phillips employed while the head coach.

But still I would expect Elam or Huff to be a Dallas Cowboy come the start of next season... Whenever that will be.

It was somewhat of a joke. IMO Ball could have went through a military style training camp and I don't think it changes the way he plays. They decided to go cheap after Hamlin's release hoping Ball could be an adequate fill in while developing AOA. Their calculations were incorrect as this season was the most atrocious display of safety play (DB's overall) I have ever witnessed as being a Cowboy fan for 30+ years. Statistics tell the same. They threw him against the wall hoping he would stick and he slid down like a wet turd coated in KY jelly.

I am all in for Huff or Elam (both?) to be Cowboys next season. I don't want to see Ball in street clothes carrying a waterbottle out to players. As raw as AOA is I would trust him right now over sticking Ball back there for another season.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Ball won't be the free safety.

If it were Ball and AOA battling it out in camp, I'd say AOA wins that one hands down.

Rather, I think we sign a free safety. Huff or/and Elam seem like natural fits. In fact, if we signed both and said goodby to both our 2010 starting safeties, I'd be for it.

Amen.

 

[cmd34]

Ball started because the chain of command making the decision..Campo, Wade, GM Jerry... are inept.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It was somewhat of a joke. IMO Ball could have went through a military style training camp and I don't think it changes the way he plays. They decided to go cheap after Hamlin's release hoping Ball could be an adequate fill in while developing AOA. Their calculations were incorrect as this season was the most atrocious display of safety play (DB's overall) I have ever witnessed as being a Cowboy fan for 30+ years. Statistics tell the same. They threw him against the wall hoping he would stick and he slid down like a wet turd coated in KY jelly.

I am all in for Huff or Elam (both?) to be Cowboys next season. I don't want to see Ball in street clothes carrying a waterbottle out to players. As raw as AOA is I would trust him right now over sticking Ball back there for another season.

I don't think a tough training camp would have turned Ball into anything even resembling a good free safety. But you could clearly see his recognition skills while playing, especially at the start of the season, were horrible. That's partly the player, but it's also partly the lack of anyone to prepare him properly.

The other thing is both safeties end up looking even worse because of the shatty zone drops by the inside linebackers. They simply can't get deep enough, which leaves the middle of the field wide open.

Hamlin wasn't the answer either. His lack of playing making skills was a killer.

 

[Cr122]

Ball started because the chain of command making the decision..Campo, Wade, GM Jerry... are inept.

That's a trio of shit right there.

 

[sbk92]

There's some merit in what you're saying. But Ball had been here for what 3 years? So he had a little more indoctrination. And it his limited time in the field, Ball did play well.

I swear to God it's like you watch different games than I do.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I swear to God it's like you watch different games than I do.

I should have specified, that it was the prior season Ball played well... Not 2010.

 

[sbk92]

I should have specified, that it was the prior season Ball played well... Not 2010.

Mikey, Mikey, Mikey.

The good news is Dallas brought in a real nice depth player in Josh Thomas. He's gonna bounce Ball off this team. Watch and see.

Not that you can't keep 5 corners, but as a 5th CB you have to be dirt cheap. We're talking 1st or 2nd year minimum salary.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Mikey, Mikey, Mikey.

The good news is Dallas brought in a real nice depth player in Josh Thomas. He's gonna bounce Ball off this team. Watch and see.

Not that you can't keep 5 corners, but as a 5th CB you have to be dirt cheap. We're talking 1st or 2nd year minimum salary.

Oh I'm not convinced that Ball is going to make this club either. Like at the end of every training camp, it will come down to the numbers. With Thomas you've got 4 corners (not including Ball) and 3 safeties on the roster.