Dallas Cowboys: 5 players whose stock is on the rise
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Standouts: Darian Thompson, SAF
Status: Year 5
Shockwaves blew through Cowboys Nation when Michael Gehlken reported it was Darian Thompson, not free agent addition Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who’s been winning the safety competition alongside Xavier Woods.
Cowboys signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in March to be their starting safety. Based on camp so far, that won’t be the case. Darian Thompson more impressive so far. This competition will continue to unfold. Clinton-Dix signed a one-year contract with $2.25M fully guaranteed.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 23, 2020
Clinton-Dix was supposed to be the clear upgrade over the dearly departed Jeff Heath. He was supposed to give the Dallas Cowboys some veteran leadership. He was supposed to bring pedigree. He was supposed to…beat out a four-year fringe player.
It’s Thompson who seems to be the better player halfway through camp. And if the season started today, Thompson would be the guy starting. That’s a boost from early projections that had him missing the 53-man cut altogether.
Without access to camp, it’s tough to say if this is great news about Thompson or bad news about Clinton-Dix. I’m betting the latter, but either way, this is a huge boost for Thompson’s stock and if he can hang onto the starting gig, he’s going to see a ton of action since the offense is going to put this squad into a ton of shootouts.
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Missing the cut: Francis Bernard, Dalton Schultz, and Cedrick Wilson
All three of the above mentioned players have been camp standouts. The only problem is none are threatening to start, thus reducing their possible impact. No one is expecting Francis Bernard to push Jaylon or Leighton Vander Esch for snaps. Same with Cedrick Wilson at receiver. Barring an injury, they’re mostly special teams and spot duty.
That’s why the five standouts listed make the list and these impressive standouts do not.
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Does this mean these Dallas Cowboys are destined for greatness? Of course not, a lot can happen between now and the close of camp. But these players are exceeding expectations and raising their stock and that’s important to point out.