Photo Credit: Dallas Cowboys
FRISCO, TEXAS — Time will tell if the Cowboys make a play for free agent Earl Thomas but Mike McCarthy has made it clear that he is “very confident in where we are as far as the 80-man roster.”
McCarthy likes flexibility in the backfield and the team is focused on evaluating the current safeties: Xavier Woods, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Darian Thompson.
Clinton-Dix was projected to be the starter opposite Woods in the backfield when the Cowboys signed the veteran during free agency but that is not the case at this point in training camp. Darian Thompson has played alongside Woods in rotating reps the last few practices and seems to be the likely frontrunner at strong safety.
“ He’s definitely lived up to his reputation, “ McCarthy stated on Thompson. “ Just the work ethic, his workload capacity has been awesome. His ability to obviously play the back end but he’s on special teams so he’s having a great camp.”
Woods addressed to the media that he would be comfortable working alongside whichever complement they give him in the backfield. The free safety has also been impressed with Thompson, stating, “ When I don’t know something, I know for sure that he knows it. He’s been consistent. “
No one expected there to be a challenge in the starter opposite Woods but it is always a good thing to have options in both Clinton-Dix and Thompson. If Thompson continues to excel, he will land the job. Several corners will also be worked in at safety to showcase each player’s versatility and benefit the team as the season progresses.
Owner and General Manager, Jerry Jones, pointed out on 105.3 “ You evaluate where we are at safety, where we are in our secondary, where we are with our numbers. We have plans coming in to work potential guys that you might have on the depth chart as corners. “
On the same coin, McCarthy addressed, “ Now we’re working the young guy in Worley. It’s flexibility; obviously Chido going back there some. I’m always looking at the group from a numbers standpoint because it’s a long year…you want your players to be really good at more than one thing, whether it’s two or three things. Whether it be special teams, safety position, [or the] ability to come down and cover in the slot.”
Along with Worley and Awuzie, rookie Reggie Robinson II could potentially be tried at safety as well. According to reports, Robinson has not had many reps at corner but the staff would like to give him a try at safety. With the tempo of passing games in the league today, regardless of who is starting in the Cowboys’ last line of defense, Dallas needs playmakers to step up. At this point in time, it appears Thompson is the guy to start next to Woods.
