Is J.J. Wilcox taking Will Allen's job?

Bonecrusher#31

Bonecrusher#31

2
Messages
5,432
Reaction score
0

Is J.J. Wilcox taking Will Allen's job?
September, 19, 2013


IRVING, Texas – Will Allen, a 10-year veteran who is typically one of the most insightful and accessible members of the Dallas Cowboys, wasn’t in much mood to talk Thursday.

Allen certainly didn’t want to elaborate on his feelings about rookie J.J. Wilcox working in Allen’s spot at safety with the starters during practice.

“Hey, man, I just work here,” Allen said. “That's all I can say.”

Wilcox, a third-round pick who calls Allen a mentor, chose his words very carefully and respectfully. He said he isn’t certain whether he will start Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, adding that only the coaches know at this point.

“I have to be ready,” Wilcox said. “There can’t be a slack off at any position. I just have to be ready when my number is called.”

There is no question the Cowboys consider Wilcox a future starter. It’s a matter of whether the future begins this week.

The Cowboys are enamored with Wilcox’s athleticism, instincts and big-hitting ability, but he’s making a major leap from Georgia Southern, a small school where he played receiver and running back until his senior season.

The anticipated competition between Allen and Wilcox -- and injured-reserve resident Matt Johnson, for that matter -- never really developed during training camp. That’s in part because Allen, a backup and special teams player for most of his career, has a solid camp and a significant advantage with his knowledge of Monte Kiffin's scheme from their time together in Tampa Bay. However, Wilcox’s development was also delayed by tragic circumstances, with him leaving camp to spend time with his mother during her final days .

Barry Church, who is entrenched as the starter at one safety spot, said Wilcox is still a work in progress but ready to contribute if necessary or the coaches decide to make a change.

“He’s definitely a physical player and he has a lot of traits to be great out there,” Wilcox said. “He just has to get the defense down, get his angles down. The coaches and I will work with him out there with that. As soon as he gets that down, the sky is the limit for the guy.”

Allen had an interception in the season opener -- his first pick since 2005 -- but has often struggled in coverage during the Cowboys’ first two games. ProFootballFocus.com’s grades rank Allen 55th among safeties who have played a quarter of their team’s defensive snaps this season, which could be considered an explanation for Wilcox’s potential promotion.

“It's just part of the business, man,” Allen said. “You got to take the positives with the negatives. That's all I can do.”

The coaches, meanwhile, can attempt to upgrade the position.
 
Cowboysrule122

Cowboysrule122

Draft Pick
Messages
3,728
Reaction score
0
September 19, 2013


Will Allen says he will 'live with it' if rookie J.J. Wilcox takes over his job at safety



Safety Will Allen said if it is time for rookie J.J. Wilcox to move ahead of him at safety, he’s “got to live with it.”

Wilcox rotated in for first-team snaps at practice Thursday, a sign that Wilcox could be on the way to taking over the job.

“I think you should ask the head coach and the defensive coordinator those questions,” Allen said. “I really don’t want to speak on it. I mean, the only thing I can say is that I’m here, on the team, and just thankful for that.”

Allen, a 10-year veteran, signed a one-year contract to give the Cowboys a veteran hand as they moved to the 4-3 defense under Monte Kiffin. Allen played for Kiffin in Tampa Bay.

Allen acknowledged that the NFL is a business.

“Got to live with it. Keep your head up,” he said. “But I definitely think you should talk to the head coach and Monte about that.”

Allen said he’s pleased with the way he is playing, but that Wilcox is a good player, too.

“A really good player,” Allen said. “Good tackler. Physical. Gets the ball. A good player. I got a lot of respect for J.J.”

The other starting safety, Barry Church, said Wilcox is ready to be a starter.

“He has all the traits to be great out there,” Church said. “He just has to get the defense down, get his angles down. The coaches and I will work with him back there with that. As soon as he gets that down, the sky’s the limit for the guy.”

Wilcox led the team in tackles in preseason and had an interception and two pass breakups.

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/cowboys/2013/09/w.html#storylink=cpy
 
Cowboysrule122

Cowboysrule122

Draft Pick
Messages
3,728
Reaction score
0
Wilcox Feels Ready If His Number’s Called At Safety On Sunday

Rowan Kavner DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas – The next rookie to make his way into the starting rotation could be J.J. Wilcox.

The third-round pick took reps early on during Thursday’s practice with the first-team defense, and while he won’t say whether or not he expects to start this weekend, it certainly seems like he might be in line to get more action defensively opposite Barry Church.

“You’re only one snap away when you’re a backup,” Wilcox said. “With that being said, I think I am (ready). Like I said, I’m going to keep preaching just to be ready when my number’s called. It’s a great team going in a great direction, and I just want to be ready.”





It’s been noted that Wilcox only played one season at safety in college after moving over from the offensive side of the ball, but after a training camp, a preseason and a couple weeks of the regular season to fine tune his skills, he feels like he’s ready to be a defensive contributor.

Church and Will Allen have been the two starters at safety through the first two weeks of the season. It seems Allen might be the casualty of the starting group if Wilcox were to get on the field.

Allen was brief and didn’t talk much about the situation, but he tried to take the high road when asked about the circumstances. Though he looked somewhat dejected and disappointed, Allen did have positive things to say about Wilcox and believes the rookie has what it takes mentally.

“He’s a good tackler, he’s physical, he can get the ball,” Allen said. “He’s a good player. I’ve got a lot of respect for J.J.”

Both Allen and Wilcox stressed that only defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and head coach Jason Garrett can really answer questions about who will start. Wilcox downplayed the importance of him working in with the starters at practice.

He said the team is just trying different rotations to see what works best between him, Allen, Church and Jeff Heath, but he did say it was fun working in with the ones and that it’s gone a little different in practice than normal.

“It’s a long season. That being said, we’re trying to stay healthy as much as possible,” Wilcox said. “Will’s a 10-year vet. He’s earned his stripes. A young pup like me has to come in and help up the slack.”

Wilcox plays on the special teams units right now and laid a massive block for Dwayne Harris against the Chiefs on a punt return. But he also got a slight taste of what it’s like to play safety in the NFL, going in for six plays defensively against the Giants.

It can take some time for any rookie draft pick to realize the enormity of the spot he’s put in. For Wilcox, all those emotions hit him as he lined up across from Eli Manning in a meaningful situation. He said those reps helped ease him in early on, but it’s also helped to be guarding some of the best in the game on his own team in Jason Witten and Tony Romo during practice.

If one thing was noticeable about Wilcox during the preseason and at training camp, it’s that he can hit and seems to be a vacuum for the ball. The Cowboys could use those traits this weekend against tight end Jared Cook, who had seven catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ opener.



Wilcox may need some time to figure out the speed of regular season football, but Church said he thinks the rookie is more than capable of stepping in right now. Wilcox led the Cowboys in preseason tackles, according to coaches’ film, with 15 solo stops and another five assists. He also picked off a pass and recorded two pass deflections.

“He’s definitely a ball hawker, but he’s also a physical presence back there,” Church said. “Once he gets his pads on you, it’s hard to get off him. If he puts a hit on you, you’re going to feel that thing. Hopefully, when receivers come over the middle, he delivers a big hit, they’ll kind of get wary and get alligator arms about going across the middle.”

Church is prepared for whatever added obligations are placed upon him if Wilcox enters the game. He said Wilcox has a firm grasp of the defense now, and he’s ready to help Wilcox as much as he needs to if the rookie takes the field.

One of the key things for Wilcox is taking the right angles, which he’s working on with secondary coach Jerome Henderson and assistant secondary coach Joe Baker.

“If he’s in the middle of the field and he takes a bad angle, that’s a house call right there,” Church said. “Being a safety, you have to be a great tackler and your angles have got to be great. Hopefully he’ll get that together, and I’ll work on him as well as Coach Baker and Coach Henderson. He should be good. He’s in good shape.”

Church has slowly become one of the veteran leaders in the defensive backfield, despite starting for just his second year and only three games last season before injury. He accepts that responsibility as he leads the younger guys.

One of those players looking his way this weekend might be Wilcox.

“I just have to be ready when my number’s called,” Wilcox said. “Will’s a great person, a great mentor, a great player overall. So if something happens to him, I have to be ready, and it can’t be a slack off from any position.”
 
M

Midswat

2
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Why do I have to eat crow? WTF has JJ Wilbust done?

Taking over for Will Allen - a guy who has been in the league since 1982 and has almost as many starts in the league as I do.
 
Sheik

Sheik

All-Pro
Messages
24,809
Reaction score
5
Love it, this is what you do when the season is obviously over. Get the young guys some valuable reps.

Im for it. Good move by coaching staff.
 
cmd34(work)

cmd34(work)

Draft Pick
Messages
4,342
Reaction score
0
I wonder when all of the moves don't work...Brodney Pool, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Will Allen... does Jerry just think it's a part of football, looks around for someone to blame, or quietly thinks to himself he screwed up again.
 
Cowboysrule122

Cowboysrule122

Draft Pick
Messages
3,728
Reaction score
0
cmd34(work) said:
I wonder when all of the moves don't work...Brodney Pool, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Will Allen... does Jerry just think it's a part of football, looks around for someone to blame, or quietly thinks to himself he screwed up again.
Keep reading...

Exactly right, he knows he screwed up but he'll never admit it to anyone.
 
Omegasupreme

Omegasupreme

2
Messages
2,329
Reaction score
11
It's the relative standards for this team. Honestly, would Barry Church be a starting safety for any of last year's playoff teams? Sometimes it's Miles and Romo, but most of the time it's a player to be blamed later.
 
M

Midswat

2
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Credit where it's due. Barry Church has been one of our best defenders.

Made more plays than Carter and Lee combined thus far.
 
Sheik

Sheik

All-Pro
Messages
24,809
Reaction score
5
I think he's trying to stay healthy and making some business decisions out there, no? Got at hit those escalators in the contract.

IDK, it's two weeks into the season, but Lee usually has 52 ints by now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom