The Dallas Cowboys are without a doubt in desperate need of upgrading their pass rush and that means the defensive end position might just be the top priority to address during the off-season.
Now, they can choose to roll the dice with an unproven rookie DE that they select the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft, or they could find a more proven player through free agency. I personally wouldn’t be surprised if they did both. That’s how much the DE position needs to be fixed.
It was just recently announced that DeMarcus Lawrence will undergo a second back surgery this off-season, which is bad news anyway try to spin it. To make matters worse, Randy Gregory will be serving a year-long suspension. Unfortunately, those are probably the Cowboys two most talented pass rushers.
The Dallas Cowboys had bodies to play the position in 2016, but the lack of talent finally caught up to them in the Divisional Round of the playoffs when they couldn’t put pressure on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
To improve as a team in 2017, the Cowboys have to add more talent on the defensive side of the ball. There probably isn’t a better place to start then at defensive end.
Follow the arrows provided to take a look at five free agent defensive ends that I think can probably help improve the pass rush for the Dallas Cowboys for the 2017 season and beyond.
I thought you would have a list of realistic options here. C’mon Brian you know not one guy on this list will even step foot in for a visit. All are way to expensive except Dion and surely we have learned something when we take high risk.
Randy, unfortunately those are the free agent options at the defensive end position. There are some lower tier players, but I’m not sure any of them are better than what the Cowboys already have.
Yeah well we are just going to have to disagree on this one. Yes I like these guys a lot with the exception of Jordan but just not in our price range and therefore just words in a page with little substance.
That being said there are some excellent candidates that are more affordable such as Mario Addison, Charles Johnson, Jabaal Sheard, Calais Campbell, Chris Baker, Andre Branch and some DT’s that will be more affordable.
These DE’s are going to be in the $5M to $8M range.
I agree there are some more affordable options, but the Cowboys have to start investing in the defensive side of the ball. They’ve tried patching things together with these low-cost free agents, but it hasn’t panned out.
I’m not saying they’re going to invest in one of these higher-priced DE’s, but if they’re serious about improving the pass rush these are the guys that are the kinds of difference makers they need. With the exception of Dion Jordan of course.
Sorry but it will simply never happen. Especially in a year where they have no money to spend. You’re just barking at the moon.
It’s definitely wishful thinking on my part, but that’s the fun part of being a fan in the off-season.
Why is it a year where we have no money to spend? It just takes restructuring a few contracts and we’ve got plenty with a positive long term outlook thanks to not having to pay Dak for awhile..
Yes I know we can restructure some contracts, trade or release Romo post June 1, so some cap magic but FO continually tells us and shows us they are not going to be big players in free agency. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see one or some of these guys but everything they show me in their approach to free agency says otherwise.
Randy, you’re right. The Cowboys have shown us over the past several offseasons that they would rather fill holes on the roster with more cost-effective free agents and then build the team through the draft. The only problem with that is that pass rushers coming out of college seem to take a few years to develop. We’re just going to have to wait and see if they can find a FA DE that can help with the pass rush.
And was the lack of free agent signings choice or necessity? We couldn’t really have signed expensive free agents in the past few years even if we wanted. I think we know what Stephen thinks but what Jerry thinks is just as important.
I think if you have been paying attention you have seen that Dallas doesn’t venture too deeply into free agency. It is by choice. They are intent on building through the draft and I think that strategy bares itself out well across the league. Sure we like the big splash signings, but it just isn’t the Cowboys approach anymore.
Dan, restructuring contracts is one of the reasons why they don’t have any money to spend. That’s why the Cowboys have been choosing to fill holes in the roster with lower-priced free agents and instead trying to build through the draft. That’s likely the approach they take again this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they want after a DE if the price is right.
I’m not talking a crazy free agency but one big free agent on the D-line isn’t out of the question, We signed Hardy for 11m or so did we? And we’re a lot better off in terms of cap space now.
I agree with you Dan.
As of today Dallas has -$5,000,000 in cap space. That is a negative number. Of course that will be manipulated but out of 32 teams they are 31st in next to the worst in cap space. Of they sign a big name I will be happy to come in here and say I was wrong but I don’t see it happening.
The problem with this analysis is that it’s not an apples to apples comparison. There is a huge discrepancy between how Dallas structure contracts compared to say Kansas City.
Our salary cap situation over the next five years is in pretty good shape, and that’s what matters, year to year is almost irrelevant, we can manipulate our money to spend just about anything we want…and that leads us to the grey area. What does our management team want to do? I think Jerry wants to spend while McClay and Stephen want to be frugal, I’m not sure who wins but Jerry can be persuasive.
Forget about the cap and just look at what they are actually doing. Their last high dollar free agent contract for players outside the building was Brandon Carr at 5 yrs/$50M in 2012. While he has been dependable and healthy I wouldn’t say and doubt you can find many that would agree he has been worth it. Greg Hardy’s signing doesn’t really count as there was little competition for his services and the contract was all incentive based. The guys being talked about as adds are high demand players that will drive up the price and Dallas simply will not play in that market. Jerry Jones says that, Stephen Jones says it, and Wil McClay says it. Those are the facts and you cannot argue with facts.
Except it’s not a fact, not in the case of Jerry Jones.
Jerry has said they’re “going to use resources, both draft and free agents on defense this season.”.
I’m not saying it’s absolutely going to happen but to completely dismiss the idea of signing these players I think is wrong.
Well go after Perry with a 2yr contract and have the second yr as option, go sign Jordan to a 3 yr contract at price both are 26 resurgence or dine with healthy youth then offer Ingram 4yr deal with the back end loaded.
Move Lawerance inside with Irving, Crawford, and the others. Then draft Jane B from Michigan and then trade our second to move up in the first round then get DBS and safety’s.
Angel, it sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. That’s a lot of moving pieces. We will see if it plays out that way.
Sorry Angel don’t know if you have it figured out. Perry may end up our of our price range but even if he is he would be coming back from 3-4 OLB to 4-3 DE and may not have that same level of production. Dion Jordan has had multiple suspensions from drugs and we already have enough guys that have had that problem. Ingram is going to cost over $12M per year so he is out of the picture. I assume you are talking about TE Jake Butt and not Jane B. so you are just all over the map. Brian was nice but no, none of that stuff is happening with possibly the risk move of drafting Butt because that is what we like to do in round 2.
JPP / pass. Skeptical how much he has left.
Jordan – a dice roll if not a project. Not sure why Miami wouldn’t match an incentive-based offer. If he wants out and on to a contender, maybe he’ll take something affordable that pays if he plays.
But yes any attempt to be aggressive in solving RDE is welcome. One F/A and one high draft pick. Then bring another project or 2 to camp. I just hope any plans to change out RT do not interfere with DE, especially on draft day.
If a top CB falls down the draft I’m taking that of course. But RDE is the higher priority. QB pressure makes good CB’s better, no pressure makes good CB’s give up completions.
Russ, I don’t think I could have said it better myself. I think the Cowboys know they have to fix their pass rush, but good pass rushers are hard to come by in free agency. If they do happen to be there, it’s going to come at a high price tag. There is just no simple fix.
I’m not too keen on Dion Jordon. He was suspended twice in 2014 for a total of six games, then was
suspended for a year, missing all of 2015. He was reinstated before this
season, but knee surgeries kept him on the Non-Football Injury list for
the season. But I get what you are saying, he’s worth noting simply for the fact that he will be available.
I’d certainly take a flyer on Gordon or Perry. Dallas will be looking to restructure some contracts – kick the can down the road – to resign a few of their own as it is. I have the utmost faith in Will McClay to find a key piece or 3 while the Cowboys’ proverbial window is wide open. The fact that the window is wide open could be reason enough to pull the trigger on a proven end rushing veteran. Thanks for the list.
I’m not very high on Dion Jordan either. It could be one of those low risk high reward situations though. They definitely have to address the DE position. Hopefully they can somehow find a way to add one of the better free agents. Adding another rookie through the draft wouldn’t be a bad idea either.