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Josh Ellis
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 cornerback Mike Jenkins.)
Name: Mike Jenkins
Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 5-10/200
Experience: Three Seasons
College: South Florida
Key stat: Jenkins led the NFL in flags drawn for pass interference, with six. He was also called for defensive holding twice and illegal contact once.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: Coming off a breakthrough year in which his play helped cement one of the league's staunchest defenses, Jenkins was expected to continue as a solid piece. Instead, he picked up a bad penalty habit, and had trouble guarding the deep ball, a route he typically shut down in 2009. He had eight fewer pass breakups in 2010, and four fewer interceptions, and seemed to lose confidence for stretches, as the Cowboys' secondary ranked among the worst in the league.
Where He Fits: Tough season aside, the Cowboys need Jenkins. Though they may look to address cornerback through the draft, that player would likely be a replacement for Terence Newman, whose play also slipped. As the younger guy, Jenkins is the corner the Cowboys have to count on as a part of their future, but he must play better. The team could consider reopening a camp competition with fellow fourth-year corner Orlando Scandrick, who pushed Jenkins to be better in '09.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Mike Jenkins can play. We've seen it. By the end of the 2009 season he was oozing confidence, and his technique and natural skills allowed him to be in position on just about every play. Somewhere last year, he took a step back. Maybe it was a technical issue, but it just seemed like he lost some aggressiveness after a litany of pass interference penalties. Regardless, he has to be an integral part of this defense's resurgence.
Josh Ellis: Jenkins drew, and continues to draw, a lot of outside criticism for a perceived lack of passion last season. People pointed to his tackling non-effort on a touchdown run in Green Bay, and sideline smiling during a loss, which, while not what you want to see, doesn't tell the whole story of his personality. I think he has the right attitude for the most part, but he got worn down last year by all the losing and his own poor play and the criticism that came from it. He needs to regain some of the confidence that gave him an edge in 2009. A good place to start fixing his game would be eliminating the penalties, but that could be hard because once a cornerback starts getting a reputation as a guy who interferes with the receivers, it can be tough to overcome.
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 cornerback Mike Jenkins.)
Name: Mike Jenkins
Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 5-10/200
Experience: Three Seasons
College: South Florida
Key stat: Jenkins led the NFL in flags drawn for pass interference, with six. He was also called for defensive holding twice and illegal contact once.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: Coming off a breakthrough year in which his play helped cement one of the league's staunchest defenses, Jenkins was expected to continue as a solid piece. Instead, he picked up a bad penalty habit, and had trouble guarding the deep ball, a route he typically shut down in 2009. He had eight fewer pass breakups in 2010, and four fewer interceptions, and seemed to lose confidence for stretches, as the Cowboys' secondary ranked among the worst in the league.
Where He Fits: Tough season aside, the Cowboys need Jenkins. Though they may look to address cornerback through the draft, that player would likely be a replacement for Terence Newman, whose play also slipped. As the younger guy, Jenkins is the corner the Cowboys have to count on as a part of their future, but he must play better. The team could consider reopening a camp competition with fellow fourth-year corner Orlando Scandrick, who pushed Jenkins to be better in '09.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Mike Jenkins can play. We've seen it. By the end of the 2009 season he was oozing confidence, and his technique and natural skills allowed him to be in position on just about every play. Somewhere last year, he took a step back. Maybe it was a technical issue, but it just seemed like he lost some aggressiveness after a litany of pass interference penalties. Regardless, he has to be an integral part of this defense's resurgence.
Josh Ellis: Jenkins drew, and continues to draw, a lot of outside criticism for a perceived lack of passion last season. People pointed to his tackling non-effort on a touchdown run in Green Bay, and sideline smiling during a loss, which, while not what you want to see, doesn't tell the whole story of his personality. I think he has the right attitude for the most part, but he got worn down last year by all the losing and his own poor play and the criticism that came from it. He needs to regain some of the confidence that gave him an edge in 2009. A good place to start fixing his game would be eliminating the penalties, but that could be hard because once a cornerback starts getting a reputation as a guy who interferes with the receivers, it can be tough to overcome.
