In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys had a lot of questions in their secondary, mostly when it came to their cornerbacks. Brandon Carr was overpaid, Morris Claiborne was injury prone, and Orlando Scandrick was coming back from a major surgery. Heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, Carr and Claiborne both left in free agency and the Cowboys were left with only Scandrick and second-year player Anthony Brown and a lot of questions. Now, with the 2017 NFL Draft completed, there is a surplus at the position and it looks like Dallas has finally solved their cornerback problem.
The returning players
The two returning players that started at cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 are 30-year-old Orlando Scandrick and second-year player Anthony Brown. The biggest thing that Scandrick needs to do is prove that he can stay healthy. While Brandon Carr was overpaid and didn't record as many interceptions as fans would have liked to see, he never missed games and stayed healthy. Scandrick missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL and came back slowly in 2016. He is now back to full strength. Joining him is Anthony Brown, a rookie in 2016 who filled in for Scandrick and Claiborne when they sat out with injuries. He showed promise and looks to compete for a starting job when the Cowboys use three corners in 2017.
Adding Nolan Carroll as a free agent
The Dallas Cowboys made one big move in the free agent signing period when they brought in former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll. There is little doubt that Carroll will open the season starting alongside Orlando Scandrick on opening day in the 2017 NFL season. Carroll has started 54 games in his NFL career.
In 2016, Carroll finished with 55 tackles and one interception and has eight career interceptions. If anything, Carroll is a good replacement for Brandon Carr in the Cowboys secondary.
The 2017 NFL Draft
With Orlando Scandrick, Nolan Carroll, and Anthony Brown as the top contenders to start in 2017 for the Dallas Cowboys, the team also added two new cornerbacks in the second and third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
They drafted Colorado's Chidobe Awuzie and Michigan's Jourdan Lewis with hopes that they can turn into their starters for the future. Awuzie can play on the outside or in the flex and also fill in at safety. Lewis might be one of the best slot corners from the draft but has off-field problems surrounding domestic dispute issues. A bubble player is the sixth-round pick, Marquez White from Florida State.
