Can Asomugha and Huff Help the Dallas Cowboys

Dec 6, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback

(24) breaks up the pass intended for Denver Broncos tight end

(84) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys Mailbag:

"How do you feel about Dallas going after both Michael Huff & Nnamdi Asomugha?Dallas is currently rank 31st in the NFL against the pass. With Huff playing FS, Dallas can put Barry Church back to SS were he should be more of different maker and since Huff has the range he can be a real centerfielder.Since Monte is playing more man coverage to fit to his cornerbacks skill set, Nnmadi should regain a bit of his swag back. With 2 former All-Pros, Dallas secondary should improve. – Maurice"

Let’s look at this in 2 Parts:

Oct 14, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end

(88) misses a catch while being defended by Oakland Raiders cornerback Michael Huff (24) during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-USA TODAY Sports

Should Dallas Sign Michael Huff as their FS?

For those of you who don’t know, Michael Huff was waived by the Baltimore Ravens a little over a week ago. The former first rounder from Texas was considered a possible target of the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason but no official interest was ever expressed by Cowboys brass.

Huff has always been a tantalizing talent so it’s no wonder you (and many other Cowboys fans) are interested in acquiring him. The question at hand is, what are you really getting with the 30 year old Huff?

He was pretty bad in his limited action in Baltimore this season. He was beaten deep repeatedly as the deep safety – which is clearly not a good quality in a centerfielder-type safety. His career as a whole has been relatively up and down so it’s even more difficult getting a grasp on what he can offer.

The NFL has been plagued with a drought of safeties in recent years. It seems EVERYONE has been searching for safety help at some point. Yet, despite the league-wide need, Huff received minimal interest and a very modest contract in the offseason. That should tell us something.

Aug 25, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Should Dallas take a chance on Nnamdi Asomugha?

I wrote an article asking this very question after he was waived by San Francisco earlier this week. Read it here.

Asomugha  has seen a fast decline in play from his days in Oakland. He has been simply terrible since leaving but memories of what the 32 year old once was, are awfully hard to forget.

This makes him pretty intriguing considering he would probably come cheap. Assuming the Cowboys did consider taking a chance on him, his limitations need to be recognized, and the following must be accepted:

• He is terrible in zone coverage.
• He is terrible covering the slot.
• He is without a doubt, very one-dimensional and can only play man on the outside. Even there, he will need safety help over the top in most cases.

After accepting that, if he still sounds useful, then by all means- sign the man. But if the Cowboys have any delusion they can just successfully plug him into multiple coverage schemes successfully, they are sorely mistaken.

Conclusion

Both of these players could prove to be useful but odds are highly stacked against them. If they are progress-stoppers in any way, they should not be signed. I don’t think BW Webb is ready to play in this league. I don’t want him cut but I don’t want him playing either. If Asomugha was found to be useful, I would be perfectly fine with signing him as long as Webb was retained.

Nov 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end

(82) breaks a tackle of Dallas Cowboys free safety Barry Church (42) and defensive back

(38) and runs for a touchdown in the third quarter at AT

As a player, I think Huff has more to offer than Asomugha. BUT, I think he would be a progress-stopper to Jeff Heath. I think Heath has some interesting intangibles and I would prefer to spend the rest of the season analyzing them (and JJ Wilcox when he returns). Like Maurice, I also prefer Church playing more SS than FS. But I’m willing to sacrifice that, in order to get a better look at the entire personnel group. If we can learn more about the safety situation, and possibly resolve it with these young players, we have one less question to answer in 2014.

So while I think Huff has something to offer, I do not think he is a long-term solution. Combine that with being a progress-stopper and I’d probably pass.

Do you have questions or comments regarding Dallas area sports? Email Reid at permaximum@hotmail.com. You may be included in the next weekly mailbag. Follow Reid on twitter @ReidDHanson