Free-agent cornerback Daryl Worley announced Tuesday that he has agreed to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Worley, 25, played his first two NFL seasons for the Carolina Panthers and his most recent two with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. He started 15 matches for the Silver and Black last year, defending eight passes and intercepting another.
The Panthers picked the ex-West Virginia cornerback in the third round of the 2016 draft. He defended 19 passes and hauled in three interceptions in 31 matches with them.
Worley joins a completely overhauled Cowboys secondary that includes additions such as safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and rookie cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson II. Gone are Byron Jones and Jeff Heath, who left for the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders, accordingly.
Worley should provide additional depth to the Cowboys, and Marcus Mosher of Locked on Cowboys believes his arrival indicates that Dallas will play more press coverage since he is well-versed in that role. Mosher also noted that he believed Worley's best spot might be at safety.
Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay did tell SiriusXM Radio that the team planned on playing more press coverage (h/t K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire).
Drummond also wrote the following about what the Worley signing may indicate for other members of the Cowboys secondary.
"Worley's addition further clouds the future of 2017 second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie. Following the draft, head coach Mike McCarthy hinted that the team could look to move one or more of their corners to the safety position. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan admitted over the offseason he wants corners who create turnovers and Awuzie's biggest problem is an inability to locate the football despite having relatively tight coverage on receivers."
It's no secret that Dallas is bringing in a specific type of defensive back.
Clinton-Dix, Worley, Diggs and Robinson are all 6'1". Dallas clearly wants a bigger secondary in year one of the Mike McCarthy era as it looks to make the Super Bowl for the first time in 25 years.
Worley appears to be a piece of that puzzle as the Cowboys embark on a new direction under McCarthy.
