The Atlanta Falcons announced on Sunday the official signing of former Cowboys safety, J.J. Wilcox to a one-year deal.
The Falcons originally announced that they would be re-signing Wilcox last week, but they had to wait for his physical and COVID-19 testing results.
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The Falcons first decided to sign Wilcox last year but his season was cut short after he tore his ACL first day of training camp.
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Falcons Weren’t Sure About Re-Signing Wilcox
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team wasn’t sure if they were going to resign Wilcox again, but after some analyzing they thought he would be a good fit.
“He’s a top notch guy who if he’s healthy, which we believe that he is, he can continue to help us in that depth of safeties,” Dimitroff told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We weren’t sure if we were going to sign him back. We are in the middle of gathering all of our secondary and putting it together.
“As we looked at our team, we thought he was the right person to bring back and throw into the mix there and let there be some amazing competition.”
Falcons Primary Safeties
The Falcons have a history of safeties getting injured so having Wilcox will be a huge asset in the secondary especially since they’re all fairly young.
Thankfully, Atlanta’s primary starts Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal are feeling 100% heading into this 2020 season. Damontae Kazee is also not a primary starter after stepping in for Neal last season.
Falcons primary safeties are Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, and Damontae Kazee, with Neal back from Achilles tear. Experienced reserves are J.J. Wilcox, Sharrod Neasman, Jamal Carter, with Wilcox returning from ACL, Carter on COVID-19 list (positive test). Jaylinn Hawkins drafted.
Kazee, also known as Atlanta’s ‘best-kept secret,’ logged 991 snaps for the Falcons in 2018. He outshined everyone else after recording 82 tackles, tieing for the NFL lead with seven interceptions and allowed just 53.3 percent passes completed.
His playing time dropped a little last season, but he still played well at two positions. In 803 snaps at both safety and slot cornerback, Kazee had 74 tackles, picked off three more passes with a passer rate of just 66.3.
In his three seasons in Atlanta, Kazee has had recorded 171 tackles, 10 interceptions and 13 passes defended.
Wilcox’s Veteran Experience
Over his seven-year career, Wilcox has played in a total of 77 NFL games (39 starts) and has made 233 tackles (173 solo), 16 pass breakups, six interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Prior to signing with the Falcons in 2019, Wilcox was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2013 NFL Draft. After four years in Dallas, he went on to have stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.
Wilcox, 28, had his most notable run came with the Dallas Cowboys. After his four seasons in Dallas, Wilcox recorded 212 tackles, 15 pass defenses, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries in 38 starts as a safety.
Heading into training camp last year, Wilcox was considered a fairly strong candidate for a backup safety spot. He unfortunately never got to show off his talents due to a season-ending injury. If he passes his physical with flying colors, Wilcox will be competing with Sharrod Neasman, Chris Cooper, Jaylinn Hawkins and Ray Wilborn to climb the depth chart.
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Falcons Officially Sign ‘Top Notch’ Veteran Safety