With the Dallas Cowboys training camp starting next week in Oxnard, California, we offer up a position-by-position preview.
SAFETIES
Who's back: Barry Church, J.J. Wilcox, Jeff Heath.
Who they added: Danny McCray (free agent), Tim Scott (undrafted free agent), Ray Vinopal (undrafted free agent).
Who's gone: CJ Spillman
Roster spots available: Three or four
Key question: What's in a position?
Jason Garrett likes to talk about position flexibility a lot when it comes to players, so in discussing this position cornerbacks Byron Jones and Corey White should also be discussed. Jones, the Cowboys' first-round pick, played safety at Connecticut before moving to cornerback. When the Cowboys drafted him they touted his two-position ability. While he saw most of his time in the spring at cornerback, the Cowboys could look at him more there as the summer goes on depending on how cornerback Morris Claiborne progresses. If Claiborne shows he can be counted on, then the Cowboys could experiment with Jones.
White saw more time at safety in the spring than Jones. While he is not expected to push Church or Wilcox for a starting job, if he can show the ability to handle the spot, then that opens up possibilities for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli in how he employs his sub package defenses. Marinelli likes to keep it simple by using five defensive backs most of the time but the Cowboys practiced their dime defense more in the organized team activities and minicamp.
If the Cowboys feel comfortable with White or Jones at corner, then that could affect how many true safeties they keep on the 53-man roster, which could put McCray's spot in jeopardy. While fans get worked up over Heath, he is one of the Cowboys best special teamers and is a cheaper alternative than McCray.
Quick thought: Wilcox missed the minicamp after undergoing a procedure to help alleviate a plantar fascia problem that plagued him most of last season but it will not affect his readiness for training camp. As he enters his third season, Wilcox has to become a more complete performer.
He is continuing to learn the position, having spent most of his collegiate career playing running back, and has struggled at times with angles and awareness. He has a nose for the football and last year was credited with 89 tackles and recorded the first three interceptions of his career.
If he can take a step forward with his consistency in 2015, then the Cowboys should not have to look to upgrade the position in 2016 and beyond.
