OXNARD, Calif. – At Training Camp in Oxnard things are looking smoothly in the defensive backfield. New passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Kris Richard is changing things up on the field as he gets involved physically in the defensive scheme with his players, and chases them down to congratulate them on big plays. One of Richard’s first moves was switching veteran Byron Jones from safety to cornerback, and it seems to have been the right move. On one of Jones’ first plays in full pads on man-to-man, he intercepted the ball. Richard did big things in Seattle and the Seahawks have had one of the best defenses in the league for a long time, and now he is utilizing the talent the Cowboys have and creating an unstoppable last line of defense in the backfield.
D210 spoke with Richard on Jones’ progress and he remarked “ he is right on track…he is really a fantastic athlete and has the character to back that. He wants to be great and is putting the time in.” Jones played both safety and cornerback at the University of Connecticut in college, so he is used to making the transition between positions in the secondary. When the season begins he will be going against some of the best receivers in the league, but he has looked great paired against the speed and athleticism of Michael Gallup in practice.
Richard described the relationship between receivers and corners “ iron sharpens iron. The better they are, the better they make us. The better we are, the better we make them.” Both offense and defense are strengthening one another to perform at the highest level and it will make a difference on the field in August.
Jones spoke to D210 on the transition from safety to corner “ different position, have to learn a different technique. Mentally it has been pretty easy out there, but physically guarding some of the best receivers in the league is not an easy task.” He has the speed and an incredible vertical jump to be physical with receivers and beat them man-to-man in press coverage. He likes to guard receivers and challenge himself with the best in the game, now he will have that opportunity each game as he once again plays corner. This time for “America’s Team.”
