The Dallas Cowboys are being urged to move on from a longtime veteran.
According to Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, a prime candidate as a surprise “veteran cut” is none other than cornerback Anthony Brown. Brown started all 16 of his appearances for the Cowboys last season and played 91% of the snaps on defense, the highest percentage of any player on Dallas’ defense.
Moton explains that assuming 2021 second-round Kelvin Joseph doesn’t get suspended — he was a passenger in a vehicle connected to a homicide — and impresses in training camp, the Cowboys could move on from Brown.
“In the meantime, Joseph will likely have a chance to carve out a starting role because of his draft pedigree,” says Moton. “If he impresses the coaching staff, the Cowboys could move on from Anthony Brown, who played a majority of the snaps out wide in 2021.
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Brown Arguably Cowboys’ Most Consistent CB in 2021
Last season, Brown had his most productive pro campaign, logging career highs in pass breakups (17) and interceptions (three) while allowing a 53.3 percent completion rate in coverage. With that said, the Cowboys can release him, save $5 million in cap space and go with a younger defender who has more upside.”
According to Pro Football Focus, the 28-year-old Brown posted a 66.0 defensive grade last season, ranking 40th among 116 qualifying corners. In fact, that number was better than Trevon Diggs, who gained much attention for leading the league in interceptions last season (11 interceptions) while being named to the Pro Bowl and garnering a First-Team All-Pro selection. Diggs posted a 58.5 defensive grade last season, ranking 80th among qualifying corners.
By comparison, Joseph posted a 71.2 overall defensive grade. It’s worth mentioning that Joseph did not see much playing time throughout the season, appearing in just 24% of the snaps in the 10 games he played in. In fact, Joseph played 142 special teams snaps in comparison to 164 defensive snaps during his rookie season.
As Moton notes, a lot hinges on whether or not the 21-year-old will emerge as a worthy starting option in training camp. The Cowboys would be silly to move on from their most consistent cornerback if they’re not absolutely sure Joseph can take over the position.
Since he was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft, Brown has played in 82 games to go along with 57 starts.
Lamb Says He’s ‘Ready’ to Be Cowboys’ No. 1 Option
Make no mistake about it, CeeDee Lamb is ready to be the No. 1 option for the Cowboys.
Following Amari Cooper’s trade to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason, Lamb is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver for the first time in Dallas. As he enters Year 3 with Dallas, the 23-year-old receiver says that he’s “been ready” to embrace that role.
Via Rob Phillips of the Cowboys’ official website:
“I’ve been ready,” he said. “That’s just me and my competitiveness. That’s in my nature. It’s kind of how we grew up playing football. I’m always ready for my name to be called.
It’s a dream that I’ve always wanted to live and now that I’m actually living it, I feel like it’s my opportunity to fulfill it. So I’m looking at it as an opportunity.”
Even with Cooper in the fold last season, Lamb emerged as Dak Prescott’s favorite weapon. Lamb caught 79 passes on 120 targets for 1,102 yards. By comparison, Cooper caught 68 passes on 104 targets for 865 yards.
Considering the Cowboys also lost Cedrick Wilson in free agency and will likely enter the season without Michael Gallup, Lamb will be leaned on to fill some very big shoes.
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Cowboys Could Make ‘Surprising’ Veteran Cut, Says Analyst