The Dallas Cowboys need to replenish their depth in the secondary and have now taken a step towards filling that need. On Thursday, the Cowboys signed veteran safety Robert Blanton to a one-year deal. Blanton’s agent announced the news on social media this morning. There has been no word on the terms of the deal.
Congratulations to @BlantonRobert on signing with the #DallasCowboys !
— Jason Bernstein (@Clarity_JB) April 20, 2017
Blanton was a fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2012 and has spent time in Minnesota and most recently in Buffalo. He has made 19 career starts and finished with 35 tackles last year with the Bills before a foot injury ended his season in Week 11 against Cincinnati.
The signing of Blanton comes at a time when the Cowboys are looking to replace both of their starting safeties from a year ago in J.J. Wilcox and Barry Church. Both players left the team via free agency and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. The two were a stabilizing presence in the secondary for Dallas and their production will have to be replaced.
Blanton had been brought in for a visit back in March and the Cowboys appeared to have liked what they saw in him. He made two starts at strong safety last year for Buffalo and is also a regular contributor on special teams. Reportedly, Blanton would be a starting safety along with Jeff Heath and also share playing time with Kavon Frazier and Byron Jones.
It is widely expected that the Cowboys will address their needs in the secondary in next week’s NFL Draft in Philadelphia but for now, they have a starting point where they can build depth and try to get back to the postseason after a 13-3 year and an NFC East title.
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