Dallas Cowboys: 3 Under the radar players needing new contracts
By Randy Gurzi
2. Jeff Heath, S
Yes, the Cowboys have needed new safeties for a long time. We all know that. This doesn’t mean the man who has been starting is a bad player though as Jeff Heath has actually been quite a find for them.
Undrafted out of Saginaw Valley State in 2013, Heath started nine games as a rookie out of necessity. He wasn’t ready and it showed on the field. He did still manage 60 tackles and a pick, but he was part of one of the worst defenses in team history.
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Heath then became a reserve safety for the next three seasons and played well in this role. He was a special teams ace and had a knack for making big plays in sub packages on defense.
In 2017, he was asked to move to the starting strong safety spot after Barry Church left in free agency. Heath played well enough to register 63 tackles and a career-high three interceptions. Unable to find a suitable replacement, he again manned this spot in 2018 and had a career-high 85 tackles but made his share of whiffs as well.
Again, Dallas aimed to upgrade the position and in that effort, they landed George Iloka. He and Heath will compete for the starting spot and the veteran isn’t ready to give up his role just yet.
Even if he does wind up losing the job, Heath will still be a valuable member of the team and should be re-signed. He won’t break the bank and can perform as a backup at both safety spots and even offered them an emergency kicker in 2017.