Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver

Free agency isn't exactly over because, as Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones likes to say, player acquisition is a 365-day job. However, with the 2020 NFL draft approaching next week, free agency certainly takes a back seat.

• Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver Game
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The Cowboys have been active in free agency, using the bulk of their signings to fill holes, but that doesn't mean they have addressed every need.

On Tuesday night, Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant for the first time will face the Dallas Cowboys, the team who drafted him and with whom he spent his first eight seasons, becoming the franchise.

Let's look at the remaining needs and the players on the roster at those positions.

Pass-rusher

Of course, slot receiver Tyler Boyd has been impressive as well. While he only had one catch against the Dolphins last week, he took it 72 yards to the house for Cincy’s only touchdown of the day. The switch at quarterback has hurt his productivity, but he’s still on pace for over 1,000 receiving yards this season for the third-straight year. Dec 04, 2020 sports Cowboys. Film room: Progress report on Cowboys’ 2020 draft class, from a home-run pick to the starting center of the future Dallas’ draft class was praised as soon as the final pick was.

On the roster: DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Dorance Armstrong, Joe Jackson, Jalen Jelks, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory

Robert Quinn's 11.5 sacks have not been replaced. Lawrence is the leader of the Cowboys' pass-rushers, but he had only five last season. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis was second on the team with four sacks.

Finding pass-rush help is a must for Dallas. Smith and Gregory are in the process of reinstatement, but even if they return to the field, what are realistic expectations for them? Smith has not played since 2015. Gregory has played 16 games the past four seasons.

LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson is considered the second-best pass-rusher in the draft, after Ohio State's Chase Young, and he could be the Cowboys' pick at No. 17. Chaisson is athletic and can turn the edge. He might be able to play multiple spots if the Cowboys alter their schemes into some kind of hybrid 4-3, 3-4 looks under coordinator Mike Nolan.

Cornerback

On the roster: Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Maurice Canady, C.J. Goodwin, Saivion Smith, Deante Burton

Byron Jones briefly became the NFL's highest-paid cornerback when he left the Cowboys to sign with the Miami Dolphins, leaving a big hole.

If the season started tomorrow, the Cowboys could get by with what they have. The group might not be the strongest in the league, but they'll do. Awuzie, Lewis and Brown have played substantial roles. Canady was added as a role player. Goodwin is more of a special-teamer.

Selecting a corner in the first round makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys because among their top four at the position, only Brown is signed past 2020. A draft isn't just about the current season. It is about the future, too. Although many mock drafts have connected Florida cornerback CJ Henderson to the Cowboys, the team released part of its Zoom interview with LSU's Kristian Fulton on social media. He could be a second-round option.

Slot receiver

On the roster: Devin Smith, Cedrick Wilson, Tony Pollard

Having lost Randall Cobb's 55 catches to the Houston Texans in free agency, the Cowboys' in-house pickings are a tad slim. Amari Cooper can play in the slot but not all the time. Same with Michael Gallup. Wilson might be the best fit for the spot among those under contract, but Pollard has some intrigue.

A running back by trade, Pollard played receiver at Memphis. He has the quickness to play inside and seems to have a feel for the game. In Green Bay, Mike McCarthy played receiver Ty Montgomery some at running back out of necessity. Perhaps the opposite could happen with Pollard.

But this draft is stacked with receivers. Clemson's Tee Higgins was among the Cowboys' interviewees, but he does not fit the profile of a slot receiver. SMU's James Proche and Kentucky's Lynn Bowden Jr. could be prime candidates to watch in the middle rounds.

Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver Game

Safety

On the roster: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Xavier Woods, Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson

Only Thompson and Wilson are signed past 2020. Clinton-Dix has shown the ability to take the ball away in a career that started with McCarthy in Green Bay. Woods has been a solid starter the past two seasons.

In recent years, the Cowboys have not thrown many high-end resources at this spot. The most recent first-round safety they took was Roy Williams in 2002. (Byron Jones was drafted as a corner in 2015 and moved to safety in 2016). It's difficult to know if things will change with a new coach, but Clinton-Dix was a first-round pick by the Packers.

Alabama's Xavier McKinney, LSU's Grant Delpit and Minnesota's Antoine Winfield Jr. have been linked to the Cowboys in the early rounds.

Swing tackle

On the roster: Brandon Knight, Mitch Hyatt, Cody Wichmann

Cameron Fleming handled the role the past two seasons, starting six games. The Cowboys did not pick up his 2020 option for $4 million, and he signed with the New York Giants.

This is a sneaky need because at some point, the Cowboys have to think long-term about Tyron Smith. He remains one of the best left tackles in the game, and last week, he was named to the All-Decade team, but he has missed three games in each of the past four seasons and has a chronic back issue.

Do the Cowboys look for a mid-round tackle to groom as a potential starter in the way they did with Doug Free in 2007?

Backup quarterback

On the roster: Cooper Rush, Clayton Thorson

Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver Booster

Rush has thrown three passes in three seasons and will count $2.1 million against the cap if he is the backup for a fourth straight season. Thorson spent the previous season on the practice squad.

The Cowboys interviewed Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts, which could make him an intriguing name to watch if he is available in the third or fourth round. No, it would not mean the Cowboys are grooming Hurts as Dak Prescott's successor, just as Prescott was not viewed as Tony Romo's successor when he was picked in 2016. It just worked out that way.

Another name to consider: Florida International's James Morgan.

One more thing to consider: McCarthy comes from an organization that believed in drafting quarterbacks, though the Packers took a quarterback five times in his 13 seasons and just once before the fifth round (Brian Brohm, second round, 2008).

• Weeks:
• 2020 Season

Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs Slot Receiver Rankings