5 NFL players who will improve under a new regime in 2020
By Randy Gurzi
Dallas Cowboys. Chidobe Awuzie. 123. Pick Analysis. 3. player. Scouting Report. CB
The Dallas Cowboys made a change at head coach this offseason after 10 years with Jason Garrett in charge and in his place will be Mike McCarthy. With McCarthy’s background being that of an offensive coordinator, it’s easy to look at the offensive players in Dallas as those who will benefit most from the change.
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However, that might not be the case. McCarthy has inherited a solid offense and even retained offensive coordinator Kellen Moore who helped Dak Prescott have his best season as a pro. Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup also showed out for Moore and CeeDee Lamb will likely do the same as their top rookie.
Where the real change is going to be coming is on the defensive side of the ball. McCarthy didn’t retain defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli or defensive backs coach Kris Richard who had been calling defensive plays the past two years. In their place is Mike Nolan, who had a great run as a defensive coordinator in Baltimore and was even once the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
His arrival could be great for the entire defense, but mostly for cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. A former second-round pick out of Colorado, Awuzie has become the most picked on defensive back in Dallas but most of the criticism is unfair.
After showing promise as a rookie, Awuzie started to work with Richard in 2018 and that’s when his play slipped. Richard’s style of defense included telling the corners to play the receiver rather than the ball — a strategy that led to a lot of penalties and missed opportunities for the corners. It was also counterproductive for Awuzie who made a career of going after the ball at Colorado.
With Byron Jones gone after signing in Miami, a lot of eyes will be on Awuzie. The good news is, the new staff seems more inclined to let him play to his strengths rather than putting him in a box and trying to force him to adapt.