The move to cornerback is only going to help Byron Jones

The Cowboys picked up a brand new cornerback this offseason by way of recycling. Who doesn’t love going green?

Dallas officially flipped Byron Jones back to corner from safety, and while he sort of leaves a hole behind, the state of the cornerback group (especially under Kris Richard) feels better than ever.

Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis got off to promising starts to their careers in 2017. Pairing the athleticism of Byron with that duo (plus what will likely be a motivated Anthony Brown) has rightful optimism circling us all.

So far during OTAs we’ve seen Awuzie and Jones as the outside corners with Anthony Brown working in the slot. There are many, myself included, that would love to see Jourdan as that slot guy, but there’s a level of logic to Jones handling it himself.

Pro Football Focus recently discussed slot cornerback play from last season, and Jones scored well on their list even though they note he was a safety (fast forward to the 5:35 mark). Jones played 23% of his snaps in the slot last season.

It’s interesting to see Patrick Robinson and Desmond King on the list ahead of Jones because Dallas was connected to the former and many people wanted the latter in last year’s draft. Regardless, it’s great to see Byron’s name on the list at all.

Jones’ trademark over the last three seasons has been to neutralize the opposing team’s tight end. When you consider that the NFC East features studs like Jordan Reed, Zach Ertz, and now Evan Engram, that’s a great weapon to have at your disposal.

Jones isn’t responsible for all of the time that Dallas has held Ertz in check, but the mothership’s Dave Helman is right in that he deserves a great amount of props. What’s more is with the mobility cornerback will allow him, his athleticism will be showcased more often.

Kris Richard recently said on DallasCowboys.com that he always wanted to work with Jones. Of all the things to be excited about this season, this feels high on the list.