Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are currently in the midst of training camp out in Oxnard, California. As his team works out the kinks that come with training camp, Jones took time to talk about a controversial player that the Cowboys have a lot of hope for. Kelvin Joseph, a 2021 second-round pick from LSU, was a first-round talent whose off-the-field problems played a role in his slipping to the second round, and it almost cost him his NFL career in March.
Joseph was a person of interest in a fatal shooting. While it was determined he wasn’t the shooter, he was still a passenger in the car driven. Following an internal investigation into the matter, Joseph was cleared of any wrongdoing, but his boss wants him to make wiser decisions.
In an interview at Cowboys training camp, Jones addressed that situation.
“We obviously don’t need our players to be involved in situations that make this come up about your character. He needs to be a good player on and off the field, and we’re gonna give him a chance to do that. Our message to him is, now get in here and be a good player, be a guy everybody depends on, and make your name in a positive way and clean it up.”
Encouraging words, but also a stern warning to the supremely talented Joseph, who has the potential to be a starting corner in Dallas. He’s got to now prove that this is in the past and turn the page on this unfortunate chapter. Joseph has to also remember that second chances don’t always happen in a league that stands for “Not For Long,” so he doesn’t have room for any more infractions.
We focused on CB Kelvin Joseph (No. 1) during this scramble drill. pic.twitter.com/mTzO0iWH55
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) July 28, 2022
Cowboys Handled This The Right Way
Instead of jumping to conclusions and releasing Joseph on the alleged accusations, Jones and the team’s brass let it play out in the hands of the authorities, therefore his name was cleared. But as Jones stated, this isn’t something that can happen again, and in so many words he’s also telling Joseph to disassociate himself from those who mean him no good. Thus far it seems as if Joseph got the message and he’s really been the team’s best cornerback at camp. Jones even said, “Joseph is having a really good camp.”
With starters Trevon Diggs struggling and Anthony Brown up and down, Joseph has shined in both man-to-man coverage and zone coverage. One of his best attributes is his willingness to support the run and tackle.
Cowboys Defense Will Need Joseph To Play At A High Level
The Cowboys defense saw marked improvement under first-year defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. While rookie Micah Parsons (DROY and first-team All-Pro) and the aforementioned Diggs (11 interceptions and first-team All-Pro) had great seasons, the defense as a whole still has plenty of room for improvement.
And Joseph is a guy Quinn needs, but the flip side of that, says Jones, is the team “needs to know they can count on him.” That’s the big question mark with Joseph. Can he be trusted to be there?
Jones said the same thing in his presser about Joseph, now it’s up to him to do it. If he does, the Cowboys defense will go to another level this season.
