Dallas Cowboys: Jeff Heath Has Unsung Values

Not every signing by the Dallas Cowboys will stand out or make a huge impact, but the re-signing of Jeff Heath will be of value for the franchise when it come to having consistency on special teams.

The Dallas Cowboys kept some undervalued depth with one of their unsung players from last season by signing safety Jeff Heath for a four-year deal, though the details of the contract haven’t been released.

The 24-year-old safety and special teamer won’t be a starter unless something drastic occurs within the defense like last season with injuries, but Heath brings his value with his special teams play, and the depth the Cowboys can use at times within their defensive backfield, most likely at a solid value.

Last season, Heath led the Cowboys defense with two interceptions, showing he does have some talent to play the position. That can’t be the best the Cowboys can offer in ’16, but he is a solid backup player for depth to have on the roster.

Related Story: Ranking Cowboys First Round Picks since 2000

Heath has been with the Cowboys since ’13 where they signed him as an un-drafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley. In his three seasons with the team, Heath has played in 46 games, where he totaled 83 solo tackles and 102 tackles overall. In his rookie season, he collected 60 total tackles with 47 of those being solo, plus that year he had one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception, plus three passes defensed.

His second season wasn’t as productive, with the safety totaling just 17 tackles in 14 games, with no interceptions. Last year, he had extended playing time in 16 games played, finishing with 25 total tackles, where he forced two fumbles and had two interceptions (both coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). He also had two passes defensed in a season where the Cowboys were 4-12 with too many injuries and underperforming players on the roster.

As for his interceptions against the Buccaneers on Nov. 15 of this past season, both came in the red zone against rookie quarterback Jameis Winston in what was a Cowboys loss.

Todd Archer of ESPN.com quoted Cowboys head coach following that game about the two interceptions by Heath:

"“He was around the ball a lot. He made some tackles then made two signature plays taking the ball away down in the red area. Those were huge plays for us.”"

Again, this signing doesn’t pop off the page, but special teams is very important, and to be honest, the Cowboys need to make sure they have players on their special teams unit who can perform. Heath has proven that he is perfect for that role, a la Bill Bates … and we all know how important he was to the Cowboys for 15 seasons.

Bates made a living off producing for the Cowboys special teams and playing defensive back, especially safety as an undrafted free agent as well. In fact, he played 15 seasons with the Cowboys and even made the Pro Bowl in ’84, eventually being a member of all three Super Bowl champion teams of the ’90s.

I’m not saying Heath is the next Bates because those are legendary shoes to fill around Valley Ranch, but he seems to be playing that type of role within the organization with the same humble beginnings. They even compare height- and weight-wise, as Heath is 6’1″ and 210 pounds and Bates was 6’1″ and 204 pounds during his days with the Cowboys.

More nfl spin zone: Potential DBs for the Cowboys to draft

Heath isn’t and won’t be the top defensive back on the roster, but he brings his own type of value to the roster, and that type of player who excels on special teams is a needed value for the Cowboys, one whom they now have under contract for at least the next four seasons.