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The 2021 NFL Draft is over and the Dallas Cowboys, shocker here, did not draft a true safety. To be fair, the Cowboys did draft Israel Mukuamu in the sixth round and he has some positional flexibility at both safety and cornerback. We spoke with Mukuamu just one day after the Cowboys took him last Saturday and he noted that he is willing to play wherever the team asks him to. You can watch that interview right here, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel which you can do right here.
One of Mukuamu’s notable qualities in the eyes of the Cowboys is his 6’4” frame. It appears that Dan Quinn wants to get taller in the secondary which is why they passed on a popular fan-favorite name in the draft cycle in Ar’Darius Washington.
Ultimately as things stand the Cowboys still don’t have a full and total answer at safety. Yes, they have brought in the likes of Damontae Kazee and Jayron Kearse this offseason, but another name might be nice to have around.
Lo and behold another name, in fact a familiar name, is suddenly one that is back in conversations. On Tuesday night it was reported by NFL Network that the Las Vegas Raiders are going to be releasing Jeff Heath on Wednesday and it certainly makes one wonder.
The #Raiders are releasing safety Jeff Heath on Wednesday, per source. He was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 10 last season. Now, set to be a free agent.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 4, 2021
Heath spent this past season with the Raiders after spending the eight years prior to that with the Cowboys. He was a very prominent special teams player and through his unique tenaciousness managed to turn into a defensive starter at times.
While that sounds like a nice story, those who watched Heath know that times were not always full of harmony when he was on defense. He is far from a perfect defensive player, but he has his strengths, and again he was notably a very strong leader on the team. That is important to remember as the group enters a new era without the likes of someone like Tyrone Crawford (speaking purely from a leadership standpoint).
Perhaps the Cowboys will be interested in a reunion with their former safety, or maybe they will pass. Heath was a favorite during the Jason Garrett administration which is no longer overseeing the team. That being said, should Dallas be interested?