The position classification chain takes each set of positions for Dallas Cowboys Consider the players, their rankings, their contract numbers, and predict the next season for each player.
This release looks at the safeties of Dallas, so let’s jump right into it.
S1
Hooker #28’s owner
Age: 27
Experience: 7 years
college: Ohio State Box
2022 Statistics:
Settles: 1008
Interventions: 62
Defensive stops: 12
Interventions for loss: 2
Break-up pass: 3
Objections: 3
Allowed QB average: 82.4
Penalties: 4
2023 decade:
Capital cost- $4,320,592 (1.9% total cap)
Dead Cap – $850,000
Basic salary – 3,000,000
Signing Bonus- $850,000
Drop 2023:
Tom – Let me start this episode with a small discussion about the way the position is used in Dallas. Closer to the concept of the free safety, Hooker, the deepest-covering man that reflects the position’s name, is there to provide a last line of defense in the secondary. I love his stats, because they show he’s not involved in plays. I read that while the defense stopped long before they got to him. He was directly involved in less than four matches per match last year. For me, that speaks more about the rest of the defense than it does. Hooker isn’t amazing, but the team doesn’t need to be. It is very solid.
Mike – I have a huge soft spot for Hooker and loved him even when he was on the Buckeyes. He is perhaps the most underrated player on the Cowboys roster, and what he does by being an intelligent and athletic quarterback is one of the reasons why his quick passes up front are so effective. His rambling and keeping everything in front of him helps keep offenses looking for open receivers while pressure swarms. In a cover 1 or cover 3 alignment there is perhaps no better and patient safety than Hooker and this helps generate additional pressure from the defensive lineman to get the quarterback in the face. The Cowboys jumped on an opportunity for him when an injury-plagued start to his NFL career seemed to render him unplayable, and that opportunity is now paying off for a team that was undervaluing the position a lot.
S2
Donovan Wilson #6
Age: 28
Experience: 5 years
college: Texas A&M Aggies
2022 Statistics:
Settles: 1,102
Interventions: 101
Defensive stops: 40
break-up pass: 2
Objections: 1
Interventions for a loss: 7
Bags: 5
Allowed QB average: 93,8,000
Penalties: 5
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $3,300,000 (1.4% of total maximum)
Dead Cap- $13,500,000
Base salary- $1,400,000
Signing Bonus- $1,650,000
Drop 2023:
Tom – Wilson plays more of a strong safety than Hooker, which means he comes in on run support as well as being more involved in short and medium pass defense. He led the team in tackles. Normally you wouldn’t want a high school member to lead this class, but in Dan Quinn’s defense, that appears to be part of the plan.
Wilson has another role. It’s the entire defense port. Using the speed he builds as he approaches stops, his tackles are often more like TKOs. There are no footsteps that opposing players listen to more than he does. And he’s come up for the passer a lot, getting five sacks and nine QB hits last year. It is good and highly efficient.
For me, the new contract the Cowboys reached with him was one of the most important moves of the off-season. It was somewhat overlooked due to the deals for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, but it kept one of the real keys to defense in the fold, and the price was very affordable.
Mike – If you are not sure that Hooker can be classified as undervalued, then Wilson should be the winner of this title. What he has become and evolved into over the years has been amazing. He has cemented himself as one of the most important defensive playmakers on the team and some people barely noticed. Not only did he lead the team in tackles last season, but he was third in defensive stops, fifth in sacks and fourth in pass breakups. This goes to show how versatile a defender is and how unique he is to a player who dribbles around him in the penalty area as a hybrid safety. For people interested in the linebacker position in Dallas, just watch Wilson because if needed he can be a hidden weapon to help cement the position in a tight pinch. His collection and total defensive shortstops were the most in the NFL at his position last year, and the way things worked out wouldn’t be surprising if he went out and replicated that level of production.
S3
Jairon Curse #17
Age: 29
Experience: 8 years
college: Clemson Tigers
2022 Statistics:
Snaps: 922
Interventions: 77
Defensive stops: 31
Interventions for a loss: 7
Bags: 2
Break-up pass: 5
Objections: 1
Allowed QB average: 76.5
Penalties: 3
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $6,161,754 (2.7% total maximum)
Dead Cap- $1,750,000
Base salary- $4,000,000
Signing Bonus- $1,750,000
Drop 2023:
Tom – Then there’s Kearse, who is also technically a strong safety, but plays a hybrid safety/linebacker role for Quinn. For years, Dallas (read: Stephen Jones) has sought deals in free agency. It rarely works, but this combination of positions is an example of winning the gold with not one player but two, with Hooker and Keers joining the team at the same time. Kearse may be the most valuable player of all security. He showed it last season, when he missed the matches. Not only is he good at what he does, he’s third in tackles with seven-for-loss, he also provides a major lead in the secondary.
Mike – If we were going to do this article half a decade ago, that would be a much shorter time than writing, but to get excited about two safes and then write on a third and how good it is is a great time to stay alive. Not only does Kearse add depth to center, but he has size and speed that the other two don’t have that make his skill set unique to Dallas. He’s made a name as a “tight killer” and does really well defending against them. He’s great at supporting runs and ranked 3rd most safe in pressures. What Dan Quinn was able to unearth at Kearse was amazing to watch and with his skills you could argue this makes the Cowboys safety group one of the best in the NFC.
Additional signals:
Sheldrake Redwine #45
Marquis Bell No. 41
Tyler Coyle No. 31
Janet Thomas #40
Mike – Marquis Bell is the first man with the chance to take a step forward this season for the cast. If he can play more fluidly and show that he can handle area coverage duties better, he’ll have a chance. Redwine has been somewhat unlucky since getting into the NFL, but if he can pay to get a role on special teams, this is a way for him to get in. The fact that we’re deep talking though this far into the safety position in Dallas just highlights how talented the apex of the position is.
Tom – This reminds me a bit of the wide receiver situation. It’s easy to figure out the top three, but who will be deep behind them? In some ways, Israel Mukuamu could be that next guy, even though he was discussed with parties in the earlier part of this series. He is another player in this position who praises the aspirations of the staff. If the numbers indicate there is another safe on the list, I think it will end up in a fight between Bell and Coyle.