Throughout the preseason and into the first few weeks of the season, one player who appeared to be on a distinct upward trendline was Dallas Cowboys third-round pick Jaishawn Barham. Coming out of Michigan, one of the drawbacks of Barham was that he struggled to contain his aggressiveness when needed, that he could line up like a linebacker but he attached like an edge rusher. Being a tweener like that caused him to slide.
Early on in the year, though, it looked like Barham’s aggressiveness and violence was enough to to warrant keeping him on the field. He was among the Cowboys’ highest rated defenders and the top defensive rookie in the NFL in the first two weeks of the year, by Pro Football Focus.
But in recent weeks, teams have gotten better at attacking Barham and forcing him into coverage–not his strong suit–and getting him to make mistakes as a pass rusher. The Cowboys, recognizing that and trying to sort out where to play the returning DeMarvion Overshown, pulled Barham out of his starting role as the green-dot wearer, a job he had held since Week 2.
In his place: Shemar James, the second-year linebacker making his first start of the season.
Cowboys Replace Jaishawn Barham With Shemar James
From Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News: “Per @KristiCowboy, LB Shemar James will be the green dot for the Cowboys defense tonight. I wondered if this was a possibility. DeMarvion Overshown and Jaishawn Barham are different builds, but have very similar tendencies. Could Barham have some OLB reps?”
It turns out that Barham did not get many reps at all, at least not through most of the game–he played 14 snaps midway through the fourth quarter. James played 46 snaps in the same span. Overshown had what might be one of the critical plays of the game–an interception to stop a fourth-quarter drive by the Eagles, with the Cowboys leading, 31-21.
Cowboys Breakout Rookie Starter Demoted on Monday Night