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Cowboys Free Agency / Safety Best Buys?
by Rafael
Part six of this week's chat with ESPN Insider K.C. Joyner covers the free agent safety crop, which lacks marquee names but has some intriguing lower-ticket prospects.
Cowboys Nation: You've given us some lower-priced, best-buy corners, let's call them. Can you recommend some at the safety position? As with corner, the top names all seem flawed in some way.
The Cowboys loved Laron Landry when he was coming out of LSU, but he may need surgery on an Achilles tendon. He has a chronic problem with one which has landed him on I.R. the last two seasons. I know his first half of 2010 was really good, however.
K.C. Joyner: I did track safety metrics in 2010, but didn't put them in the 2011 book. I'm going to put them back in this year and give the readers two years worth of safety metrics. I tracked all their materials, their direct coverage and deep assist numbers.
Landry has the injury concerns. Michael Griffin has been abysmal in coverage in the past. Chris Harris from Detroit? That week 17 game, the shootout between Detroit and Green Bay? Anybody who's thinking of picking up Chris Harris should watch that game, 'cause that's what you're getting. It ain't good. He's slow. He's not a guy you want in coverage.
Brandon Merriweather? He thought he was a big deal in New England because he made the Pro Bowl, and he got a big head. I don't know that that's a guy I want.
I'm looking at Tyvon Branch from the Raiders and his numbers are good. Solid. I hate to just use that word because it's so generic, but he's just a good safety. He's not great. He's not going to do anything fantastic, but he's good. Might be the sort of guy Dallas wants to pick up. He's not an elite guy, but he's going to do his job. For Dallas, given how bad their safety play has been the last few years, a guy who comes in and punches the clock and does his job might be a good signing.
CN: I do think the priority will be corner, because Terence Newman's decline has been so severe and because cutting him saves them over four million in cap space this season. But we've talked about this, at left corner and at free safety, getting league-average guys there would greatly benefit their secondary play.
K.C.: Thomas DeCoud from Atlanta is a good cover guy but he doesn't tackle very well. He has some issues there but if you're looking for a guy to give you over the top help, he could be a good pick up.
Mike Adams from Cleveland looks intriguing. He's had to play corner there for the Browns and he's done fairly well. If you're looking for a guy who could give you depth and can be okay at safety and fill in at corner in a pinch, he's worth a look.
Steve Gregory from San Diego is not a bad safety, and they've used him in direct coverage a lot out there. There are some names out there. I'm looking at Tanard Jackson from Tampa. He's had some off-field substance-abuse issues, but when he's on his game, he can be a good free safety. At the same time, can you count on that player to show up every week? That's a big concern.
There are some quality candidates at safety.
by Rafael
Part six of this week's chat with ESPN Insider K.C. Joyner covers the free agent safety crop, which lacks marquee names but has some intriguing lower-ticket prospects.
Cowboys Nation: You've given us some lower-priced, best-buy corners, let's call them. Can you recommend some at the safety position? As with corner, the top names all seem flawed in some way.
The Cowboys loved Laron Landry when he was coming out of LSU, but he may need surgery on an Achilles tendon. He has a chronic problem with one which has landed him on I.R. the last two seasons. I know his first half of 2010 was really good, however.
K.C. Joyner: I did track safety metrics in 2010, but didn't put them in the 2011 book. I'm going to put them back in this year and give the readers two years worth of safety metrics. I tracked all their materials, their direct coverage and deep assist numbers.
Landry has the injury concerns. Michael Griffin has been abysmal in coverage in the past. Chris Harris from Detroit? That week 17 game, the shootout between Detroit and Green Bay? Anybody who's thinking of picking up Chris Harris should watch that game, 'cause that's what you're getting. It ain't good. He's slow. He's not a guy you want in coverage.
Brandon Merriweather? He thought he was a big deal in New England because he made the Pro Bowl, and he got a big head. I don't know that that's a guy I want.
I'm looking at Tyvon Branch from the Raiders and his numbers are good. Solid. I hate to just use that word because it's so generic, but he's just a good safety. He's not great. He's not going to do anything fantastic, but he's good. Might be the sort of guy Dallas wants to pick up. He's not an elite guy, but he's going to do his job. For Dallas, given how bad their safety play has been the last few years, a guy who comes in and punches the clock and does his job might be a good signing.
CN: I do think the priority will be corner, because Terence Newman's decline has been so severe and because cutting him saves them over four million in cap space this season. But we've talked about this, at left corner and at free safety, getting league-average guys there would greatly benefit their secondary play.
K.C.: Thomas DeCoud from Atlanta is a good cover guy but he doesn't tackle very well. He has some issues there but if you're looking for a guy to give you over the top help, he could be a good pick up.
Mike Adams from Cleveland looks intriguing. He's had to play corner there for the Browns and he's done fairly well. If you're looking for a guy who could give you depth and can be okay at safety and fill in at corner in a pinch, he's worth a look.
Steve Gregory from San Diego is not a bad safety, and they've used him in direct coverage a lot out there. There are some names out there. I'm looking at Tanard Jackson from Tampa. He's had some off-field substance-abuse issues, but when he's on his game, he can be a good free safety. At the same time, can you count on that player to show up every week? That's a big concern.
There are some quality candidates at safety.
