FRISCO, TEXAS — For the Cowboys’ defense in 2020, more than just the cornerback/safety room will look different.
Dallas lost Byron Jones and Jeff Heath in free agency but gained several new secondary additions through the Draft and free agency including Maurice Canady, Saivion Smith, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Trevon Diggs, Reggie Robinson II, and Daryl Worley.
Xavier Woods spoke to local Dallas media on the roster changes “ It’s different; definitely different. I don’t think it will really hit me until we’re all together in Training Camp or whenever we get together, but it is definitely different not hearing those voices [Jones and Heath] because they were the leaders of the group so it has definitely been different. We have to step up. I think now we are becoming the older guys of the group as of me, Chido, and Jourdan being in year four, but Ha Ha joining in year seven, and we have some older guys with Daryl Worley coming in and we are just going to make the most out of it.”
The new unit is trying to gel in the best way possible through virtual meetings by watching film and calling out each of their respective responsibilities in the backfield.
“ First couple weeks we went over the defenses. These last couple weeks we have been watching film. It shows an offensive formation and we just call our calls and let the play run and then tell coach what we would be doing. “
The process is similar to what the secondary would be doing in a regular meeting scenario but there is no practice on the field as an additional test of understanding. This season, there has been a greater emphasis placed on turnovers from the new coaching staff.
Under the Jason Garrett regime from 2011-2019, Dallas was ranked last in the league at 32nd with 98 interceptions during that span, the only team in the NFL that did not have at least 100 interceptions. Also, the Cowboys were ranked 18th in the league in turnover margin with -11. During the draft process, getting lengthier ‘ball-hawk’ corners (Diggs and Robinson) became a priority to the organization.
Woods explained, “ The defense’s number one goal is to create turnovers. Turnovers win games…but you can’t force turnovers.”
Dallas did the next best thing as an insurance policy; they got physical press corners that get their hands on footballs. In addition, the coaching staff has changed up the scheme with more disguising at the snap. In recent years, Dallas has been predictable to offenses in the backfield with cover three and cover one (single-high safety). Now, they are changing it up.
“ A lot more defenses, to be honest, “ Woods described. “ More than what we have played the past two years; A lot more than just cover three, more than just man-to-man. That’s the biggest difference.”
Regardless of the outcome, Woods knows the man he is going into battle with and will presumably complement him in the backfield, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
“We feed off each other. He has knowledge to give me, and what I know I give him. Hopefully we keep that going all the way throughout the season.”
