Ha Ha Clinton Dix Is Now A Cowboy As The Search For Help At Safety Continues In Dallas

The Cowboys have secured the services of the nomadic Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for the upcoming season showing that the team’s needs at safety remains no laughing matter. After passing before last season on perennial Pro Bowler Earl Thomas, who made it no secret he wanted to move to Dallas from Seattle. the Cowboys signed instead George Iloka.

Thomas signed instead with the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons and $55 million and had another Pro Bowl season. Iloka, a bargain basement signee, was bought in for one season for under a million dollars. But he was gone before the start of the season and was signed by no one.

The Cowboys have been notoriously cheap when it comes to paying safeties. They don’t believe the position warrants a big paycheck. They have drafted three safeties over the last decade. All were taken in the sixth round. Let’s just say that none — Donovan Wilson (2019), Xavier Woods (2017) and Kavon Frazier (2016) — have made their mark in an NFL secondary. Woods was the Cowboys starter at free safety last season.

The last time the Cowboys used a top pick on a safety was 2002 when they drafted Roy Williams eighth overall. He played his way out of favor and was released after the 2008 season.

This free-agent season the Cowboys lost safety Jeff Heath, a former college free agent signee, to the Las Vegas Raiders and cornerback Byron Jones, a former top draft choice, to the Miami Dolphins. It should be noted that Jones can double as a safety. Heath and Jones were starters last season.

In Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, 27, the Cowboys have a safety who played for new coach Mike McCarthy in Green Bay. Dix, listed at 6-1, 208 pounds, dabbled at strong safety before settling in at free safety for the Packers. A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2014, Clinton-Dix moved on to Washington midseason in 2018. He was traded for a fourth-round pick. From there it was on to Chicago last season. He started 16 games for the Bears.

His deal with then Cowboys is believed to be for one season at $4 million with 42.5 million guaranteed.

His perceived weaknesses over the years have been being fooled by play-action passes missing tackles, and problems in run support. Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys finally use a high draft choice in an attempt to shore up their safety issues.

And finally, so you know: Clinton-Dix’s given first name is HaSean. It evolved into Ha Ha with the blessing of his grandmother, who began calling him that as a baby.