The Dallas Cowboys pushed through a series of surprising cuts to finalize their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. One such cut was linebacker Jabril Cox.
Cox, a third-year player out of Louisiana State, had mostly played special teams during his Cowboys tenure. A series of knee injuries hampered his first two seasons, but many around Dallas expected a larger role for Cox in year three, especially after rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL.
Dallas was hoping to bring him back to the practice squad, but Cox has opted to instead sign with the Washington Commanders.
The move leaves the Cowboys with just four linebackers on the roster. On Tuesday, head coach Mike McCarthy was asked about the perceived lack of depth in the middle of his defense. He decided to shine a light on his safeties instead.
“I think once you see us get going that will answer itself,” McCarthy said. “This is the deepest safety group that I can recall. And that gives us a lot of flexibility.”
McCarthy’s comments were not meant to deflect away from a potential weak spot on the roster. Rather, they were a testament to Dallas’ roster building in the current era of football.
The game is as pass-heavy as ever before, and while some teams will look to run more in 2023, nickel is the new base defense. With only two off-ball linebackers needed for a majority of snaps, extraneous linebackers may not provide the value that a versatile defensive back could.
The Cowboys are uniquely deep at safety. Defensive backs Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker all played more than 70% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. Safety Israel Mukuamu has the versatility to play cornerback and special teams. Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell have each made a name for themselves in Frisco for special-teams potential … and both could be hybrids here.
Wilson and Kearse both spent time in the box last year, effectively replacing a linebacker. Now, the roster reflects that. Prioritizing talent within the context of the league’s tendencies is a better way to build a roster than sticking to traditional norms for the sake of it.
Dallas will have a chance to showcase its safeties’ versatility Week 1 against the New York Giants.
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