Getty J.J. Wilcox #27 of the Dallas Cowboys.
Longtime Cowboys’ safety J.J. Wilcox signed with the Atlanta Falcons last season but unfortunately tore his ACL the first day of training camp.
The Falcons are reportedly giving him another go around, per ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.
Wilcox will have to not only pass his physical but also two COVID-19 tests before he can ink his contract. The contract is expected to be a one-year deal.
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Wilcox’s Veteran Experience
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. During four seasons in Dallas, 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.
What an NFL Physical Consists of
All teams have their own doctors which have their own requirements and it’s not fun. But then again, when is a doctor’s visit ever fun?
The process is a lengthy one and players are lucky to get out of there in three or four hours. It’s basically like what they did at the NFL combine.
Players will need to have x-rays done and MRI, ultrasound studies, or other imaging done to help re-evaluate past injuries. They will also have to do a treadmill stress test, blood work, a urine drug screen, along with vision, hearing, and dental screenings.
Doctors will push and pull their joints. They will ask about family history and medical problems. And after reviewing a player’s bloodwork, they’ll ask them even more questions.
Any possible injury a player has ever had will be scrutinized to the smallest detail. For Wilcox, it was his knee, of course. They’ll figure out his stability after ACL surgery. At the end of it all, he’ll get a pass or fail grade. But it’s weird because the player can go to another team and pass their physical even if he failed the one prior.
Jaylinn Hawkins on COVID List
Jaylinn Hawkins is one of two players still on the COVID list, the other is fullback Keith Smith.
Hawkins is a versatile player that the Falcons snagged in the fourth round of the draft. However, he lacks the elite speed and has poor coverage ability, but that can be worked on in the offseason. He’s a natural athlete, the Falcons just need to find out where he fits best and they might have themselves a lottery ticket.
For now, he is the one, out of the six rookies that is predicted to not see the field as much this season. The Falcons are already stacked at safety with Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, and Damontae Kazee.
However, it’ll be fun to see what the Falcons end up doing with him, and having Wilcox showing him the ropes could be good for him.
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