Shortly after the release of Terrell Owens, I wrote that the Cowboys lineup was now bereft of anyone who could even remotely be labeled as a "troublemaker." This is no longer true.
Today, the Cowboys signed Gerald Sensabaugh, a free safety formerly with the Jacksonville Jaguars. At 25, Sensabaugh seems like a pretty good football player who could address the Cowboys’ most pressing need (more on this later).
However, he has had some legal troubles in the past. So I suppose he could (and probably will, eventually) be labeled a troublemaker.
Sensabaugh was arrested as recently as February, when he was allegedly caught driving with a suspended license. A subsequent search of his vehicle yielded three firearms, including an AK-47, all of which were registered.
The safety has been arrested as many as three times in the past two years, and he tends to have a problem with speeding. As Sammy Haggar might say, "He can’t drive 55." (He really can’t. In March of 2007, Sensabaugh was cited for going 84 in a 55 mph zone.)
That said, the deal looks good from the Cowboys’ perspective. Sensabaugh can play either safety position and is strong in special teams, important when you consider that Keith Davis may be gone in 2010.
Further, the 25 year-old is coming off the best season of his career. He started 13 games in 2008 with four interceptions, four deflections and 82 tackles.
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Sensabaugh is also a record holder: His 46" vertical at the combine is the largest in its history.
And despite his spotty record with regards to, oh, say, traffic laws, he probably isn’t all that bad of a kid.
He was coached by Jerry’s buddy and former employee Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville, as well as Cowboys’ special teams coach Joe DeCamills and secondary coach Dave Campo. That is, the Cowboys would have known of any past transgressions before the signing on Monday.
With the departure of Roy Williams and with Keith Davis’ future as a Cowboy hanging in the balance, the signing addresses a major flaw of the Cowboys’ 2008 squad, namely their lack of depth in the secondary.
Here’s hoping Sensabaugh is fast on the field and not so fast off of it.
