Dallas Cowboys continue to revamp defense by signing free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is bringing in a familiar face to help create turnovers on defense and to fill a big hole in the secondary.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, a seven-year veteran who spent the first five seasons of his career with McCarthy as a member of the Green Bay Packers, has agreed to terms with the Cowboys on a one-year deal, said his agents at SportsTrust Advisors.
According to a source, the deal is for one year and worth $4 million, with $2.5 million guaranteed.
Dix was a first-round pick of the Packers out of Alabama in 2014. He was traded to the Washington Redskins midway through the 2018 season, which was McCarthy’s last year in Green Bay. He spent last season with the Chicago Bears.
By most accounts, Clinton-Dix is not the same player he was in 2016 when he was selected to the Pro Bowl after tying for the conference lead among NFC safeties with five interceptions. At the same time he is an upgrade over the departed Jeff Heath, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday. In seven seasons with the Cowboys, Heath had eight career interceptions, but none in 2019. Clinton-Dix has 16 career picks in six seasons, and two last season when he started all 16 games with the Bears.
Beyond that, at 27, Clinton-Dix is more than 18 months younger than Heath. He also has a familiarity with McCarthy, and knack for forcing turnovers, an area that was a major deficiency for a Cowboys defense that tied for last in the NFL with only seven interceptions last season.
In addition to Clinton-Dix, the Cowboys re-signed backup linebackers Joe Thomas and Justin March to one-year deals on Thursday.
But Clinton-Dix was the move that mattered most. He joins defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who signed a three-year, $20 million deal on Tuesday as new starters on a Cowboys defense that lost four in free agency, including Heath, cornerback Byron Jones (Miami Dolphins), defensive end Robert Quinn (Bears) and defensive tackle Maliek Collins (Raiders).
It also allows the Cowboys to focus on other areas in next month’s draft. The team’s remaining needs include signing a slot receiver to replace Randall Cobb, who signed with the Houston Texans on Monday. The team also must fill holes at defensive end, cornerback and nose tackle.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
