The Cowboys starting free safety from 2021 looks to be moving on.
Another one of the Dallas Cowboys remaining free agents is visiting another team, but this one just happens to be a 2021 starter. Damontae Kazee was the Cowboys starting free safety for most of 2021 and while he didn’t jump off the page as a star, he was a solid addition to the back end of the defense.
He had come over after spending his career with the Atlanta Falcons, and Dan Quinn, creating another player reunion with his former coach. The Cowboys added Kazee along with Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker last offseason. The Cowboys have already re-signed Kearse and Hooker, so Kazee appears to be the odd-man out.
That may be the case for real as he is visiting the Seattle Seahawks,
Free agent safety Damontae Kazee is scheduled to visit the Seattle Seahawks today, per source. Seattle looking at pre-draft defensive back options. Kazee is a five-year veteran who started for Cowboys last year and has 12 interceptions.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 19, 2022
The Cowboys most likely will replace Kazee with Hooker as the natural free safety on the back end of the defense. Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson are similar type players in that they excel when closer to the line of scrimmage either making tackles or covering underneath. Kearse has also functioned as a dime linebacker in certain defenses and was one of the Cowboys best defensive players last season.
The Cowboys, including Dan Quinn, must have really liked what they saw from Hooker in 2021 as they are apparently choosing him over Kazee. It wasn’t a bad season for Kazee, but the team must think that Hooker is more of a playmaker back there.