Dallas Cowboys must re-sign special-teamer C.J. Goodwin
Nowadays, you can't discuss the Dallas Cowboys without discussing what will happen with Dak Prescott. However, the Cowboys' free agency to-do list extends well beyond the young franchise quarterback, leaving plenty of players overlooked. One of those overlooked players is Cornerback C.J. Goodwin. Goodwin, who entered the NFL in 2014 and bounced around six NFL […]
Nowadays, you can't discuss the Dallas Cowboys without discussing what will happen with Dak Prescott. However, the Cowboys' free agency to-do list extends well beyond the young franchise quarterback, leaving plenty of players overlooked. One of those overlooked players is Cornerback C.J. Goodwin.
Goodwin, who entered the NFL in 2014 and bounced around six NFL teams before landing with the Cowboys, only played in 1.4% of the team's defensive snaps. But make no mistake about it, the veteran cornerback has been very important for the Cowboys in the past two years.
In the last two seasons, no one has played more special teams snaps for the Cowboys than him. In 2020, he led the team with 304 snaps (66%). And he was good at it, too, leading the team's special teams in tackles both years.
Goodwin isn't an expensive player to keep around, having played on a one-year deal for $1M last season. At 31-years old, Goodwin will likely sign a similar deal to stick around.
John Fassel, who helped turn around the Dallas Cowboys' special teams during his first season on the team knows just how valuable he is for the team:
“What he’s meant to our team, first of all just as a player on the field, has been undeniable, he’s fast, he’s tough, he’s so versatile. … He means a lot to our team and a ton to our special teams. And I think there’s a lot more to come as far as production in the future.” – John Fassel via THE ATHLETIC
According to Football Outsiders' DVOA, the Cowboys finished the season with the seventh-best special teams' unit in the league after ranking 30th in 2019!
But John Fassel wasn't the only coach to rip the benefits from C.J. Goodwin's play. Former Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan featured the Cowboys' defensive back in Week 16 versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
Aware of rookie Jalen Hurts' dual-threat abilities, the Cowboys deployed the "C.J." package. In it, Goodwin played as a QB spy and was pretty effective. In fact, it ended up being one of the Dallas Cowboys' best defensive performances of the season.
Now granted, Dan Quinn is the new sheriff in town for the defense. But given the reports regarding Carson Wentz departing the Philadelphia Eagles, he'd be wise to look at what Nolan did against Hurts. After all, it sounds like the Dallas Cowboys will be facing him twice in 2021.
Re-signing C.J. Goodwin might not rank high in the Cowboys' priorities, but it needs to get done.
Featured Image Via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
