Dallas Cowboys look to transform secondary with signing of ball-hawking safety

Clarence E. Hill Jr.
·2 min read
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The Dallas Cowboys added their sixth defensive player in free agency when free safety Damontae Kazee came to terms on a one-year deal Thursday night.

Kazee is the second former Atlanta Falcons player to reunite with former head coach Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinators. Quinn had coached in Atlanta for the last six seasons.

Already familiar with Quinn’s scheme, Kazee, 27, will compete at free safety. He was one of three safeties who visited The Star on Wednesday.

Last Saturday, the Cowboys also added Keanu Neal, 25, another former Falcon. He was a strong safety in Atlanta, but he’ll shift to linebacker in Dallas.

The team quickly came terms with strong safety Jayron Kearse, 27, on a one-year deal.

Besides Kazee, the Cowboys were also looking at former Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker. Both were coming off Achilles tears that sidelined them in 2020 and the Cowboys brought them into The Star for an in-person conversation to get an update on their recoveries.

After his visit, Kazee visited the Detroit Lions on Thursday before coming to terms with the Cowboys.

Kazee, a fifth-round pick of the Falcons in 2017, will also be reunited with secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr., his former position coach in Atlanta.

According to a source, Kazee is getting a one-year, prove-it deal with the Cowboys, who are hoping he can display his ball-hawking skill set. Kazee tied for NFL lead with 10 interceptions over the 2018 (seven) and 2019 (three) seasons.

The Cowboys recorded just 11 interceptions as a team during that same time span and their safeties picked off only eight passes over past three seasons combined. The team hasn’t had a safety set a record for interceptions since Michael Downs had seven in 1984.

The Cowboys have made a point during free agency to add bodies and increase the competition on a defense that gave up more points than any unit in franchise history in 2020 and allowed the second most yards.

In addition to Kazee, Neal and Kearse signings, the Cowboys added defensive linemen Brent Urban, Carlos Watkins and Tarell Basham last week.