NFL Rumors: Dashon Goldson Leaving Washington Redskins For Dallas Cowboys

NFL rumors have been swirling around Dashon Goldson since last week. The 31-year-old safety was released by the Washington Redskins. The team needed to clear some much needed salary cap space, so Goldson was released to save $8 million. The Redskins like Goldson and are trying to negotiate a reduced contract to keep Dashon around. According to NBC Sports, though, Goldson could be leaving Washington to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Washington Redskins had Dashon Goldson for just one year. However, it was his best year in the NFL. Goldson had 110 tackles last season. Only five safeties in the National Football League had more tackles than Dashon. It’s really hard for players to take a pay cut whenever they have such a good season. That’s the reason why Goldson has been fielding calls from other teams, in case someone gives him a contract that he cannot refuse.

The Dallas Cowboys have a good amount of safeties under contract. Barry Church and JJ Wilcox are currently expected to return to the Cowboys next season. Dallas also spent a first round choice in the NFL Draft on Byron Jones. Jeff Heath is also under contract. However, if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes that Dashon Goldson is an upgrade and gives his team a better chance to win games, then he won’t hesitate to add another player at the position.

After a promising rookie season, the Dallas Cowboys are very high on Byron Jones. His versatility enables him to play cornerback, nickelback, and safety. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli believe that Jones is at his best when he is playing safety. The hope is that he can beat out Barry Church and JJ Wilcox. If Dashon Goldson were to sign with Dallas, then he could help mentor Jones so that he can reach his full potential.

One thing that the Dallas Cowboys do not want Dashon Goldson to teach Byron Jones is his knack for drawing penalty flags from the referees. Goldson is one of the biggest hitters in the NFL. At times, that gets the former Washington Huskies star into trouble. While the Cowboys definitely want Jones to be more aggressive, they certainly would prefer to reduce the amount of penalties called on them.

The signing of Dashon Goldson will be determined by how much the Dallas Cowboys like the safeties that are on their draft board. They are said to be highly interested in Boise State Broncos star Darian Thompson and Southern Utah Thunderbirds star Miles Killebrew. If the Cowboys feel like either of those guys can come into Dallas and contribute immediately, then their interest in Goldson would be reduced tremendously because he is a more expensive option.

When Dashon Goldson was with the San Francisco 49ers, he was a Pro Bowl safety. Much of that was because the overall defense was so dominant. The Niners had a tremendous pass rush, led by Justin Smith and Aldon Smith, so that was quite the benefit to Goldson. The California native might have a problem with the Dallas Cowboys because their defensive line doesn’t really get a ton of pressure on opposing NFL quarterbacks, and their linebackers aren’t allowed to blitz much.

Since he still has something left in the tank, Dashon Goldson still can play in the NFL. If not the Dallas Cowboys, then he can always return to the Washington Redskins. Goldson might even wait until after the upcoming NFL Draft because there are going to be teams that do not find a safety coming out of the college ranks. Dashon isn’t done with the National Football League.