On Now
Coming Up
  • Fri., May. 31, 2013 10:00AM - 11:00AM CDT Live Talkin' Cowboys

    Join Mickey, Bryan, and Rowan as they breakdown all of the latest Cowboys news.

  • Fri., May. 31, 2013 11:00AM - 12:00PM CDT Live Cowboys Break Join Derek, Nick, and Ed for all of the latest Cowboys news and analysis.
  • Tue., Jun. 04, 2013 11:45AM - 12:25PM CDT Live OTA's LIVE Join DallasCowboys.com's staff out at OTA's as they take twitter questions from the fans, and provide live updates on practice.
  • Sun., Aug. 04, 2013 7:00PM - 10:00PM CDT Cowboys vs. Dolphins The Cowboys take on the Dolphins in the Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
  • Fri., Aug. 09, 2013 9:00PM - 11:59PM CDT Cowboys at Raiders The Cowboys head to Oakland to take on the Raiders.
  • Sat., Aug. 17, 2013 3:30PM - 6:30PM CDT Cowboys at Cardinals The Cowboys close out training camp with a preseason matchup against the Cardinals in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Sat., Aug. 24, 2013 7:00PM - 10:00PM CDT Cowboys vs Bengals The Cowboys return home to take on the Bengals at Cowboys Stadium.
  • Thu., Aug. 29, 2013 7:00PM - 10:00PM CDT Cowboys vs Texans The Cowboys close out their preseason against the Texans at Cowboys Stadium.
  • Sun., Sep. 08, 2013 7:30PM - 10:30PM CDT Cowboys at Giants The Cowboys open up their season at home against the New York Giants.
  • Sun., Sep. 15, 2013 12:00PM - 3:00PM CDT Cowboys at Chiefs The Cowboys hit the road to take on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
  • Sun., Sep. 22, 2013 12:00PM - 3:00PM CDT Cowboys vs Rams The Cowboys return home to take on Sam Bradford and the Rams at Cowboys Stadium.
  • Sun., Sep. 29, 2013 3:25PM - 6:30PM CDT Cowboys at Chargers The Cowboys head west to take on the San Diego Chargers.
  • Sun., Oct. 06, 2013 3:25PM - 6:30PM CDT Cowboys vs Broncos The Cowboys play host to Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
  • Sun., Oct. 13, 2013 7:30PM - 10:30PM CDT Cowboys vs Redskins In an NFC East battle, the Cowboys take on the Redskins at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

News & Blogs

Print
RSS

Behind Starters, Makeup Of Safety Position Still Evolving

Posted Aug 25, 2012

ARLINGTON, Texas – The supposed camp battle for a starting job between Barry Church and Brodney Pool was over before it started, but that doesn’t mean the Cowboys are lacking competition at safety.

In fact, the position is still only beginning to take shape, with Saturday’s game just another step in its ongoing evolution. The Cowboys suffered two injuries in the deepest part of the secondary against St. Louis, with third-year special teams ace Danny McCray coming out with what he termed a stinger, and rookie fourth-round pick Matt Johnson sustaining another hamstring injury.

Since the draft, Johnson has missed all but a few practices due to eligibility stipulations and a hamstring injury to his other leg. Saturday was his first game action, but he was forced out after only a handful of snaps.

“Really disappointing,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what else to say about it. I try to believe that everything happens for a reason, but it’s kind of hard to see why. I just feel like I’m trying to do everything right rehab-wise, diet-wise … so we’ll just get on top of it and try to get healthy as soon as I can.”

While McCray’s injury is believed to be relatively minor, another setback with Johnson creates a situation for the Cowboys, who hoped he would play a role for them this year. While he’s been out, first-year safety Mana Silva has shown up in games, intercepting a pass in the season opener and making a few splash plays on Saturday.

Silva was also a part of the first-team kickoff and kickoff return units on Saturday, an indication coaches are considering him as a strong candidate to make the 53-man roster, and perhaps even the 46-man active roster on game days to start the season. There’s still some time to go between now and final cuts on Aug. 31, however.

“I go out there and just work as hard as I can, and I let the chips fall where they may fall,” Silva said. “I’ve just got to stay humble and continue to improve.”