3:28pm: The Cowboys aren’t bringing in Goldson for a visit, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It’s unclear if there’s just nothing formally scheduled for now, or if Goldson isn’t among the team’s targets.
12:21pm: The Cowboys are “working diligently” to upgrade at the safety position, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says the team has been “rebuked” so far by its free agent targets. Dallas had reportedly been one of the clubs with interest in signing veteran safety Eric Weddle before he landed with the Ravens.
According to Cole, the Cowboys would like to move 2015 first-rounder Byron Jones to cornerback on a more permanent basis, after he spent much of his rookie year playing safety. Considering J.J. Wilcox had an inconsistent 2015 campaign and may not be relied upon as a starter again, that leaves Barry Church as the only stable option at the position.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), one veteran free agent the Cowboys are eyeing is former Buccaneer Dashon Goldson, who was recently released by Washington. A source tells Rapoport that Dallas is planning on bringing in Goldson for a visit.
Goldson didn’t have a great year in 2015, but his released can be attributed more to the fact that he had been set to count for $8MM against Washington’s cap in 2016. At a more affordable price, he could be worth rolling the dice on.
Besides Goldson, a few of the more noteworthy unrestricted free agent safeties on the board include Reggie Nelson, Rashad Johnson, Husain Abdullah, David Bruton, and Rahim Moore. Walter Thurmond also remains unsigned, but he is believed to be leaning toward retiring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Reggie Nelson would be my 1st choice, but he is old, but dude is a ball hawk – probably most expensive option. Rashad Johnson – also oldish at 30, but gets his hands on the ball – may only cost 1.5-2 M a season. They aren’t getting a safety at 4 unless they are drafting Ramsey and putting him at safety instead of corner. They should address depth in the 3rd or 4th round though.