For now, the starting Dallas Cowboys cornerbacks are Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown outside, with Jourdan Lewis in the slot. Diggs is coming off a solid rookie season, Brown is a versatile vet and Lewis’ slot playmaking has him a new contract.
Going into the start of the regular season, this shouldn’t be set in stone.
Despite rookie corners Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright making plays, they’ve been primarily lined up with the second string defense. Wright’s a scheme fit in the Cowboys Cover 3, and Joseph shown just how lock down he is.
This was Kelvin Joseph's best play of the night. pic.twitter.com/Qfbs2tOJnB
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 16, 2021
aaaaaaalmost for Nahshon Wright
— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) August 14, 2021
(via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/6jenAnTKVp
Brown hasn’t done anything to lose the job but he hasn’t made splash plays that both rookie corners have. In fact, he’s had a really good camp so far that won’t make the Dallas Cowboys have to rush their rookies out there.
The point being made has been that the rookies shouldn’t play their first game against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers week one. The reasoning that it could diminish their confidence. It’s understandable. Tampa Bay has an arsenal of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski and a great offensive line. Needless to say any defense will have their hands full.
However, not playing young players in order to shield their confidence against elite quarterbacks and a deep receiving core shouldn’t keep a team from playing their best players. The Cowboys play Tom Brady and the Bucc’s week one, but this won’t be the only time this year they’ll play a great quarterback with weapons.
The Chargers, Vikings, Falcons, Chiefs and Cardinals are all 2021 opponents. All games where they will need their best defenders out there the most.
Even if they become some of the best players, are these games they don’t allow their young players to play?
Brown should be commended for his intelligence, ability to play multiple roles and return from injury, but if Joseph and/or Wright are outplaying Brown, moves must be made.
The same can be same for the biggest surprise of training camp: Maurice Canady.
Jourdan Lewis has been a play-maker in the slot, which got him a nice contract extension this past offseason. With Canady continuing to make plays, if the Cowboys don’t rename a starter, Canady at least deserves a healthy rotation spot on defense.
Maurice Canady continues to shine!@dallascowboys #CowboysNight pic.twitter.com/GgnFTNajKm
— The Star Vision (@TheStarVision) August 17, 2021
Maurice Canady is having a great practice today pic.twitter.com/Np52P3Akxs
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 27, 2021
Canady is coming off 2020 COVID opt-out season. B efore that he had a career year with both the Jets and Ravens totaling 46 tackles, 5 pass deflections and an interception. They’re not Pro Bowl numbers but he’s coming into his physical prime, and using him only on special teams would be terrible coaching.
As mentioned in a previous article, the Dallas Cowboys have players who are outplaying the supposed starters. Canady has been no exception and leads the team in interceptions during camp.
Cowboys CB Maurice Canady has a team-high 5 interceptions in training camp this year. He said he and Trevon Diggs have an ongoing competition to see who gets the most picks. Both played WR earlier in their playing careers pic.twitter.com/F4goMMflIN
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 18, 2021
Brown and Lewis will definitely have huge roles this year because all of the secondary will need to. The unit was so bad last year and the Dallas Cowboys must unleash their playmakers as much as possible. This team’s ceiling is too high to keep any thoroughbreds in the stables.
Even if some of the younger players get burned, they can only learn from experience. Good and bad. Not playing them is helping no one, and can only hurt the team.