Donovan Wilson #6 of the Dallas Cowboys
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Donovan Wilson #6 of the Dallas Cowboys
While the list of additions that Dallas Cowboys have made here in the opening weeks of NFL free agency has at the very least been long, if not overly impressive, the departures we’ve seen–and the potential further departures that could be to come–have been significant, too. The most prominent is defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, traded to the 49ers for a third-round pick, But familiar names like Solomon Thomas, Brock Hoffman and Jalen Tolbert have bolted elsewhere, too.
There are still significant names out there whom the Cowboys could lose–or bring back. None has been around as long in the defensive meeting rooms than Donovan Wilson. Drafted in the sixth round in 2019, Wilson has managed to stick it out at The Star for seven seasons. Only Dak Prescott has been with the team longer.
But if you ask another veteran–Cowboys beat reporter Jon Machota of The Athletic–it’s likely that Wilson has played his last down for Dallas.
Donovan Wilson Has Been in 98 Games for the Cowboys
Wilson has appeared in 98 games for the Cowboys over the years, and has been a starting safety for 62 of the team’s last 68 games. But he is 31 now, and has seen a steady decline in play over the years.
He is still a pretty good run-stopping safety, but he lacks the speed in coverage. Pro Football Focus rated him No. 88 out of 98 safeties in coverage last year, and he has allowed a passer rating of 125.9 when he is targeted by opposing quarterbacks in the past two seasons.
Speaking on “The One-Star Podcast,” Machota said that it’s unlikely that Wilson, who is a free agent, still has a role with the signing of Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke.
“(Thompson and) PJ Locke, too. He is a guy who can help out there, can help on special teams,” Machota said. “So, I don’t think they’ll bring back Donovan Wilson. I think that’s a situation where they could use a late-round pick on another safety, or maybe an undrafted free agent and maybe they bring in a guy that way. I just don’t think he fits with what they want to do.”
Cobie Durant Will Help Quickly
The Cowboys will be taking a different philosophy to the defense under new coordinator Christian Parker, and as part of that, they will ask Thompson and Locke to play some slot corner. Wilson did that on just 87 of the 921 snaps he played last year, and as his rating shows, he was not good when asked to play in coverage.
The Cowboys are expected to add a safety in the draft, and it is likely they’ll take a cornerback, too. They signed one last week–Cobie Durant–who almost exclusively plays wide. Machota noted that Durant is a good veteran get for the Cowboys.
“I like it, small corner for sure. … That’s the only thing that stands out to me, the size, and that he has shown a knack to take the ball away,” Machota said. “We saw this last season, with three picks in the playoffs alone and three in the regular season. We had him on a conference call and it seems like a good guy, you’d want as part of a defensive rebuild. A veteran guy who, maybe I overrate this, but he is coming from a team that is one of the best teams in the NFL. So, he’s bringing that with him.”