Ken Hamlin has provided a veteran "quarterback on defense", as head coach Wade Phillips likes to say, but the Cowboys also have a young, talented free safety in Pat Watkins.

Watkins started nine games at free safety last year before the Cowboys signed Hamlin to a one-year deal. While Watkins waits for another starting opportunity, he has found a niche as the club's leading special teams tackler.

Do you see Watkins as a starting safety down the road?

Yes, I think Pat Watkins will eventually start because he is fast, getting better in coverage, and can make open field tackles. I like his height and his ability to catch up and make a play on the ball.

I do see him starting at safety down the road, every game he seems to get better and better. I remember when Darren Woodson came into the league he slowly transited into the starting line up with-in his first years. Watkins is very young still and has a lot to learn, but he does have the abilities and athleticism to be a starting safety.

Well it very well could be next year.  Otherwise he probably wont be a starter on this team.  Hamlin gets resigned or he doesnt

Blue_Star:

I do see him starting at safety down the road, every game he seems to get better and better. I remember when Darren Woodson came into the league he slowly transited into the starting line up with-in his first years. Watkins is very young still and has a lot to learn, but he does have the abilities and athleticism to be a starting safety.

 

going for the homepage I see.....lol, but I agree he is gaining experience, but if we resign Hamlin, where does that leave Watkins....maybe on the outside looking in.. 

Pat will become a starting saftey, and it will not be that much further down the road. He has the skill set to step in, he showed it last year by stepping in and playing real well for a rookie. He has now had one full season behind a veteran to learn the tricks of the trade. The biggest thing in his favor is his rangey size, very tall and has a great wing span; I would take a lanky ball hawk on my last line of D any day, it makes it real tough to try to sneak one past him.

CowboysFn4Life:

Blue_Star:

I do see him starting at safety down the road, every game he seems to get better and better. I remember when Darren Woodson came into the league he slowly transited into the starting line up with-in his first years. Watkins is very young still and has a lot to learn, but he does have the abilities and athleticism to be a starting safety.

 

 

going for the homepage I see.....lol, but I agree he is gaining experience, but if we resign Hamlin, where does that leave Watkins....maybe on the outside looking in.. 

Hey I'm trying. Yeah unless Hamlin doesn't get resigned, then you're right Watkins will be on the outside looking in.

Yes, I would think Pat gets a starting job, maybe sooner rather then later.

Its seems our 2 SS starters are getting worse defending the run...

I have been disappointed in both Roy & Hamlin on giving up 2 long TD runs the last 2 games!

We MUST get better!

Think he will start some where .We may have to choose between him and Hamlin unless we can find a way to use both of them hope Wade and JJ make the right choice

I see Roy Williams getting worse! Watkins may be a starter soon.

Pat Watkins shouldn't be starting unless something happens to another starting safety.  The Cowboys need to sign Ken Hamlin to a long term deal.  Hamlin has 5 picks as the starting free safety right now and as soon as Roy Williams gets back to rare form it'll be a wrap for all oppossing receivers, tight ends and running backs who dare go across the middle.  Pat Watkins is a good role player but starting NOT SO MUCH. 

SUPERBOWL OR BUST BABY!!!!!  YEAHY YEAHY!!!!!!!

P.S.----Does anyone realize that if not for the fumble on the goal line by Witten the final score would have read Cowboys 35, Lions 27?  Seems to me like the Lions got a lucky bounce twice but just couldn't capitalize on it.  Go figure.

 

I think it would be a nice change!  He has better coverage skills than .......... and is HUNGRY to play and MAKE PLAYS!!  He will need some time to become dominate, but he wont be a slouch! 

Hamlin needs to be locked up to a long(er) term deal, and then a decision needs to be made on Pat Watkins vs. Roy Williams.

Sorry Roy!  But maybe if you get benched it may shock ya back to life and motivate ya to play like you used to!

Next year, in training camp, it would be interesting to see if anybody has given thought to moving Anthony Henry to the Free Safety position.  He has the best ball skills and instincts of any of our DBs, plus it would add some years to his career.  Of course this would be dependant on securing a high quality CB in the draft, but I would like to at least see that experiment before I see Watkins in there 100% of the time.

I don't think Watkins can do any better than either Roy Williams or Ken Hamlin.  He definitely can't hit harder than either one.  He gets burnt all the time.  Just hasn't been burnt as much because he's not on the field all the time.  I wouldn't change a thing with the lineup.  The coverage in the secondary just needs to be tweaked that's all.  There has only been 1 game were the Cowboys were torched on the deep route and that was against New England.  And the Cowboys secondary wasn't even at full strength.  Let's face it, It's hard for offenses to get deep on the Cowboys in this day and age so they do short dump off passes which eats a lot of yardage but doesn't always put you in the endzone.  If the Cowboys bump and run a little more, by the way, is what Anthony Henry did during the 4th quarter of the Lions game will fix that.  Just a little bump may give the safeties just a little more time to react to help out better in coverage.

If Dallas goes to super bowl, and if Hamlin continues to play decently, I do not see Dallas will be able to afford to sign him to a large contract.  They have already spent millions on Williams, another safety.  So Watkins might be starting next season.  It will all depend on how expensive Hamlin will become.  If he will cost 5 million a year, I do not see Dallas resigning him.