Cowboys said they will replace Jayron Kearse with a “turnover machine.”
Cowboys said they will replace Jayron Kearse with a “turnover machine.”
In terms of pass coverage, the Cowboys performed admirably overall in the previous campaign. They ranked 12th in the NFL with
their 15 interceptions, and ninth in the NFL with an 81.8
coverage grade at Pro Football Focus.
However, their depth at defensive back was lacking,
particularly at safety, where Jayron Kearse, who saw
a sizable 860 snaps, was rated at 44.9. That ranked 94th
in the NFL
among 95 safeties.
For this reason, in their most recent mock draft,
CBS Sports has the Cowboys vying for the safety position,
with Tyler Nubin of Minnesota selected with the 25th pick.
“Nubin is a three-down safety who, given the Cowboys’
pass-rush capabilities, could become a turnover machine
in Dallas,” wrote Chris Trapasso, the mock’s creator.
Jayron Kearse Could Be Replaced by a Cowboys Draft Pick
Whether Kearse leaves the Cowboys in free agency or
the draft, it’s a good bet that they’ll try to move on from
him the following season. This month marks his 30th birthday.
After two excellent seasons in Dallas in 2021 and 2022,
during which he recorded PFF grades of 71.9 and 75.9,
his performance declined precipitously in 2023.
By far the most penalties Kearse has ever given up in
his career, eight were called for him in the previous season
(his previous worsts were the four he gave up in 2020 and 2021). Additionally, he missed a career-low 10.7% of his tackles
in the previous season. In his first two seasons in Dallas,
he had only missed 3.5% and 3.9% of games.
In 2023, Kearse intercepted just three passes, compared to
15 in his previous two Cowboys seasons combined.
He gave up a passer rating of 101.5 when a quarterback
targeted him, up from 76.5 the season before,
according to PFF.
The fact that Kearse was greatly outperformed by
the Cowboys’ other two main safety, Malik Hooker and
Donovan Wilson, not only signed long-term contracts
before the season began, does not help either.
Wilson received three years and $21 million, while
Hooker received three years and $24 million.
This is a big investment at a position where the Cowboys
usually hunt for deals.
Get more related news on
Leave a Reply