(Editor’s Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in ‘Mailbag’ presented by Miller Lite.)
It seems like the coaches want players who can play multiple spots, but I don’t recall Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson or even Bill Parcells mentioning position flex. If I was a rookie, I would want to focus on the speed, physicality and complexity of the NFL in my natural position vs. learning how to play multiple positions. Am I wrong, or didn’t those three Hall of Fame coaches let their guys learn how to dominate at one position? – Paul Clark*/Kingsland*, TX
Mickey: One of the things you have to understand about some of these guys playing multiple positions is they have already done so during their college careers, and a lot of this has to do with lining up in a 3-4 base defense and then transitioning to a 4-2-5 or a 5-1-5 when going to nickel. In these multiple defenses, lining up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 is not all that different than lining up at defensive end in a 4-2 front. And some of the versatility is dependent on need. And what a luxury in the backend to have this combination of Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant and now Caleb Downs to have shown the flexibility to play safety and in the slot on the nickel, and in Durant’s case, play either outside corner or in the slot. Oh, and in Jaishawn Barham’s case, spent his junior year at Michigan at inside linebacker and this past year at defense end. It’s the Cowboys Way, the more you can do . . .