Photo Credit: Dallas Cowboys
FRISCO, TEXAS — In Dallas there is a new defensive scheme and many players are thriving in the system, including fourth-year corner Chidobe Awuzie. He is the second player to register an interception during practice on Sunday.
Chido spoke with the media via conference call on the accomplishment.
“ That’s the expectation everyday…Donovan Wilson got one yesterday, A.B. got one earlier and now I got one. Daryl Worley punched the ball out yesterday so we are getting to the ball. That’s always a good thing.”
The Cowboys have struggled to accumulate takeaways in recent years and no team had fewer than Dallas’ seven interceptions in 2019, but players are clearly absorbing and reacting favorably to the new varied defensive principles.
The past two seasons in Kris Richard’s system, the Cowboys primarily used cover one and three in the backfield with little variation. Now with an entirely new coaching staff in place, the secondary has become more multiple with pre-disguised looks to confuse offenses under Mike Nolan.
“ We’re going to be running all the same coverages out of different looks, out of the same looks, “ Chido elaborated. “ Like I said, it’s going to be real multiple. I think it’s going to produce a lot of mistakes by the offense and quarterbacks. It’s just going to throw it into the coverage that they were expecting, but they’re not. When you have two high safeties or one high safety before the play starts, it’s very easy for a quarterback to diagnose where they’re going to go with the ball before the play starts. But when there are disguises, moving, being active and not being statues, it’s going to be real hard for them. They’re going to have to decide while the play is going. I think that’s going to produce stats and turnovers.”
The Cowboys’ defense has been predictable but now the club is mixing things up, including the addition of 3-4 looks up front with DeMarcus Lawrence and Aldon Smith standing up and rushing from a three-man front. Defensive fronts and backfields create more opportunities for one another and elevate the productivity of each individual player. That was the case last season with Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and D-Law, and will likely be again even more so with the load of talented additions to the defense during the offseason.
“ Diggs is a great corner, “ Chido described. “ The corners we brought in, Daryl Worley, Reggie Robinson, everyone that we brought in, and everybody honestly, from last year, what I’ve seen, has gotten better. It’s always a great thing. A lot of the best players breed their best game from competition; breed their best game from other players, seeing different things. The better players we have the better team we’ll be. It’s a beautiful thing. “
There was chatter during the virtual offseason program that Chido could potentially be moved to safety with the depth at corner, but he made it clear in chatting with DFW media that the coaching staff has had no conversations with him on a position switch. He continues to practice at cornerback with the first-team.
In unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic, players were given the option to opt out prior of the season. Chido was asked if he gave the notion a thought and his response was simple, “Nah. Contract year, baby.”
