Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gives instruction during practice.
The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for an all-important clash against the Philadelphia Eagles and that means all hands on deck.
Dallas’ defense especially needs the help, as they’re reeling from a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that saw the secondary give up four passing touchdowns. In order to give Kelvin Joseph and other corners some competition, the team promoted Mackensie Alexander to the main roster for Week 16.
Alexander recently signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad in the midst of his seventh NFL season. Dallas made the roster move official on December 23, also announcing that center Brock Hoffman would also be elevated.
“The @dallascowboys elevated C Brock Hoffman and CB Mackensie Alexander from the practice squad to the active roster for Saturday’s game,” @DallasCowboysPR posted on Friday.
The @dallascowboys elevated C Brock Hoffman and CB Mackensie Alexander from the practice squad to the active roster for Saturday’s game.
The 29-year-old was first drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft but was struggling to find a home this season after being released by the Miami Dolphins in early September.
Now, Alexander is getting a major opportunity to stake his claim on a consistent roster spot as the Cowboys prepare for the playoffs.
Alexander Arrives in Arlington
After a college career at Clemson, Alexander entered the 2016 NFL draft cycle with hype. He had shown great awareness and ability to read the game, making up for his slightly undersized frame (5’10”, 192 pounds).
The Vikings took the corner as the 54th overall pick but played a small number of snaps on defense (68) as a rookie according to Pro Football Reference. Alexander then began showing off his ball skills in his second season, registering six passes defended and bringing down a pick.
From that point on, Alexander has notched five passes defended or more in every season, regardless of the number of games he played. 2018 was the former Tiger’s strongest point when he totaled 10 passes defended and earned four sacks.
While with the Vikings, the 29-year-old played a lot as a “nickel” corner, the third CB in a typical lineup and one that focuses on defending slot receivers and making plays at the line of scrimmage.
It will be interesting to see if Dallas uses him as a nickel or as an outside corner, but the stats show that he has the versatility to slide in just about everywhere.
Cowboys Call for ‘Competition’
Part of the reason why Alexander has joined the Cowboys is that the secondary is beat up and getting battered. Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis are out for the season, and stand-in corners like Joseph and Nahshon Wright are clear weak links.
As Heavy’s DJ Siddiqi previously covered, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn announced that the starting outside corner spot is now up for grabs. That’s where Alexander comes in, and the snap count split between him, Wright and Joseph will be something to watch on Saturday.
For what it’s worth, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy did publically say that Wright did a fine job in that spot after Joseph was benched mid-game against the Jaguars.
Alexander boasts a more experienced resume than Wright and Joseph, but a new role in a new team will make it a challenging spot to be in.