Could Cowboys Have Interest In Ifo Ekpre-Olomu?
The Dallas Cowboys have been seeking cornerback help this offseason, and former Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu could help ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft.
I make no secret about the fact that selecting cornerbacks early on in the draft without a strong front seven is a wasted selection, unless, of course, that defensive back is named Deion Sanders – ‘Prime Time’ retired a long time ago.
Having said that, the Dallas Cowboys are well within their faculties in searching for ways to bolster a secondary that isn’t exactly loaded with play-makers. I still maintain that this is because the Dallas pass rush is noticeably weak, but I digress.
Former Oregon cornerback Ifo-Ekpre-Olomu was released by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. This fact should grab the attention of the Cowboys immediately, and I’m sure that it already has. Seems kind of early for that kind of move, but we are talking about the Browns, a franchise that’s fully committed to its bi-annual rebuilding process.
It’s been an unfortunate story for the former Ducks star corner since December of 2014. With Oregon cruising to the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game in January of 2015, Ekpre-Olumu suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a dislocated kneecap leading up to the tournament. Prior to the injury, this young prospect was viewed by some as the best quarterback available for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Having suffered the injury so late, Ekpre-Olomu was unable to participate in any pre-draft events a year ago and didn’t play at all for the Browns last season, a fact that was foreseen when he was chosen in the seventh round of last year’s player selection meeting in Chicago.
Not exactly fitting the profile of today’s highly coveted, tall cornerback, Ekpre-Olomu is considered a ball hawk that’s capable of the big play at any time. This is a true ‘shadow corner’ that’s got make-up speed and also plays the ball even after a receiver catches it – if he catches it, that is.
At 5’9” and 195 pounds, he’s not Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks, but I’d take Ekpre-Olomu in a race any day. He’s a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, a 2014 consensus All-American and he helped the Ducks win the Pac 12 in 2011 and 2014. He’s a guy you’d want in your secondary if he’s healthy.
The Cowboys are believed to be working on plans to either reduce the salary of grossly overpaid cornerback Brandon Carr, or release him altogether. With or without Carr, the Cowboys still need at least a couple of new corners for the 2016 season.
Morris Claiborne, chosen 6th-overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, has re-signed with the Cowboys for one more year, yet it’s no secret that the former LSU standout has fallen way, way short of expectations over his first four seasons – I’m a bit shocked that he’s still going to be around for a fifth season.
Then there’s Orlando Scandrick, arguably the best cornerback on the roster who missed all of last season after sustaining a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament as training camp broke last summer. A fourth-round pick back in 2008, it’s expected that Scandrick still has plenty left in the tank, but who’s to say for sure? At 29 years old, he’s probably not going to keep getting better, so future plans need to be made.
Next: Cowboys: How Ohio State Can Fix Pass Rush
Ekpre-Olomu will still have to clear waivers, so the Cowboys don’t have complete control over whether or not this exciting prospect ends up wearing a blue star on his helmet. But if the opportunity is there, I like the idea of signing him to what would still be a modest, ‘prove it’ contract for a couple of years much more than spending a high draft choice on cornerback prospects like Jalen Ramsey of Florida State or Vernon Hargreaves of Florida.