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Safety Net
Stephen Jones: Safety A Free Agency Priority
Derek Genovese
Staff Writer
July 27
SAN ANTONIO - It took nine different quarterbacks to get from Aikman to Romo. Likewise, since Darren Woodson retired in 2004 the Cowboys have seen eight starting safeties come and go, and once again the secondary is in flux.
As for the 2010 starters, Gerald Sensabaugh is a free agent while Alan Ball could be moving back to cornerback. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Barry Church, Danny McCray and Andrew Sendejo have little regular season experience, so with two spots potentially opening up, the Cowboys consider safety one of their biggest needs, and are confident they can get the help on the open market.
That could mean bringing in one or more veteran free agents.
"Obviously we'd like to improve that position if we can, and it's one of our priorities and it's obviously something we're working on," Stephen Jones said. "We'll see whether that's one or two. I don't know the answer to that. It could be three; we'll see. You have to see at the end of the day how things are going to work out, what's available and how it fits for us. So we're very confident we can get the help there that we need."
Some of the biggest names in free agency are already off the market. Eric Weddle signed a $40 million deal to return with the Chargers, and reports have connected Baltimore's Dawan Landry to Jacksonville. Several options are still available, including Dallas native Michael Huff of the Raiders and Cleveland's Abram Elam, both of whom have played under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
"It's an important position, no question," Jones said. "We've spent a lot of time with Rob really going over what he would like to have and some of the guys he would like to have. He has a lot of input into that. Like I said, I think we'll probably find some help there, some veteran help, and we drafted Akwasi in the fourth round (in 2010). We've got a lot of reason to be positive about him, not to mention Church and McCray played a lot for us last year."
While Huff is coming off a great season statistically, his career got off to a slow start under Ryan in Oakland. Elam, who started for Ryan's Browns each of the last two years, spent the 2006 season with the Cowboys.
Stephen Jones: Safety A Free Agency Priority
Derek Genovese
Staff Writer
July 27
SAN ANTONIO - It took nine different quarterbacks to get from Aikman to Romo. Likewise, since Darren Woodson retired in 2004 the Cowboys have seen eight starting safeties come and go, and once again the secondary is in flux.
As for the 2010 starters, Gerald Sensabaugh is a free agent while Alan Ball could be moving back to cornerback. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Barry Church, Danny McCray and Andrew Sendejo have little regular season experience, so with two spots potentially opening up, the Cowboys consider safety one of their biggest needs, and are confident they can get the help on the open market.
That could mean bringing in one or more veteran free agents.
"Obviously we'd like to improve that position if we can, and it's one of our priorities and it's obviously something we're working on," Stephen Jones said. "We'll see whether that's one or two. I don't know the answer to that. It could be three; we'll see. You have to see at the end of the day how things are going to work out, what's available and how it fits for us. So we're very confident we can get the help there that we need."
Some of the biggest names in free agency are already off the market. Eric Weddle signed a $40 million deal to return with the Chargers, and reports have connected Baltimore's Dawan Landry to Jacksonville. Several options are still available, including Dallas native Michael Huff of the Raiders and Cleveland's Abram Elam, both of whom have played under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
"It's an important position, no question," Jones said. "We've spent a lot of time with Rob really going over what he would like to have and some of the guys he would like to have. He has a lot of input into that. Like I said, I think we'll probably find some help there, some veteran help, and we drafted Akwasi in the fourth round (in 2010). We've got a lot of reason to be positive about him, not to mention Church and McCray played a lot for us last year."
While Huff is coming off a great season statistically, his career got off to a slow start under Ryan in Oakland. Elam, who started for Ryan's Browns each of the last two years, spent the 2006 season with the Cowboys.
