Dallas Cowboys: Film and personnel support Reggie Robinson to Safety

Reggie Robinson Positional Outlook

With a new defensive scheme in town, long gone are the predominantly single-high alignments that cemented the Kris Richard era in Dallas. With defensive backs coaches Al Harris and Maurice Linguist, there should be plenty of two-high alignments for a match based defense.

The need for a box safety will likely be a little less than in previous years, but a safety that can play Man coverage against TEs and RBs near the LOS or deep down the field is always welcome. Xavier Woods‘ versatility to play in the box, as well as deep, is something the Cowboys care about as they have made him the model of safety they want. (Interesting choice) It is why they have signed players like Darian Thompson and HaHa Clinton-Dix and drafted Donovan Wilson.

Insert Robinson. Near the LOS, he has demonstrated the ability to compete and win in run support displaying solid ability to leverage gap, disengage from blocker, and then tackle the ball carrier. Fans of the Cowboys have long wanted a consistent tackler at safety; now the team might finally have one.

As a safety, he will certainly be asked to play zone coverage, but he does provide the unique ability to cover RBs and TEs. He has the speed to deal with RBs and hopefully, his adequate COD won’t get put on display against RBs who generally aren’t the greatest route runners. Against TEs, he has the size at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds to deal with the contact in the receiver’s route stem.

He dealt with it fairly well at the collegiate level, why not try it at the professional level?

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However, circling back to the most important point, Robinson will have to play zone. His pattern recognition is good and that should aid in his development as a safety. What playing back there will allow him to do is utilize his good foot speed, explosiveness, and agility in addition to his good pattern recognition to match receivers out of their breaks when they enter his zone.

Throw in his ball skills and you might have yourself an Earl Thomas-like playmaker in the defensive backfield.

*Ducks and runs from angry mob*

If what’s stated above doesn’t happen, which is VERY likely, then the Cowboys can bring Robinson back to cornerback without having to re-sign him off waivers or to a new contract from the practice squad. The position switch does so much for final numbers the team will dedicate to the defensive backfield.

The secondary will perhaps be the biggest developing story this season because it is currently the largest unknown on the team. The pieces are there to make it excellent, but just how well will the players execute their job in a more difficult scheme?

I guess we’ll just have to wait…