The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their Week 3 matchup against the Seahawks without two of their top-three cornerbacks from the start of the season. One player who should get a big uptick in playing time is veteran Daryl Worley, and his experience prior to joining the Cowboys will hopefully serve them well in Seattle.
Chidobe Awuzie will be out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered during the comeback win over the Falcons. And Anthony Brown will miss at least two more games after he was placed on injured reserve following the Week 1 loss to the Rams.
Trevon Diggs scared us on Wednesday by missing practice with a shoulder injury but he returned fully yesterday. At the very least, Dallas should have it’s new top CB available against the Seahawks,
But now that leaves Worley, Jourdan Lewis, and rookie Reggie Robinson to fill out the depth chart this week. And while Lewis is entering his fourth season with the Cowboys, Worley has far more NFL experience and could be the starter this week opposite Diggs.
A third-round pick in 2016 for the Panthers, Daryl has started in 49 of his 58 games for Carolina and the Oakland Raiders. He was CB exclusively for the Panthers but was seeing some work at safety last year for Oakland, and Dallas signed him this offseason based on that versatility.
But while Worley has gotten some looks at safety for the Cowboys it’s cornerback where they really need him this week.
It’s been mostly quiet for the fifth-year DB in his first two weeks. What Worley’s best known for right now is failing to catch an easy interception that could’ve greatly helped the Cowboys during their early-game struggles against Atlanta.
But with Awuzie and Brown definitely out Dallas needs someone who can play the outside. They will likely deploy Jourdan Lewis in the slot as it’s where he’s best suited.
Covering Seattle’s Tyler Lockett will likely fall to Lewis and Trevon Diggs depending on where the speedy WR lines up. That means Worley could be seeing a lot of D.K. Metcalf, who’s already having a big year with eight catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in just two weeks.
One of those games came against Stephon Gilmore, who’s currently on the short list for “Best CBs in the NFL.”
Daryl Worley has never been anywhere close to that list during his time the NFL. He’s been a journeyman; already on his third team in five years.
But whatever shortcomings there in his game, Worley’s experience as a starting CB makes him a far better candidate this week than Reggie Robinson. He’s also still just 25 years old, compared to Brandon Carr in his late 70s (I kid, I kid).
While we will certainly welcome Awuzie and Brown back to the lineup once they’re available, this week forces us to root for Daryl Worley in what should be a significant role against one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Perhaps he can be an unlikely hero as the Cowboys strive to keep the momentum going from last week.
