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Dallas Cowboys Defensive Outlook After Landing Greg Hardy

The Dallas Cowboys signed Defensive End Greg Hardy to a 1-year deal that could be worth up to $13.1 million. The base salary is worth $745,000 but many incentives are included in the contract. More than $11 million come in the form of per game and workout bonuses. This deal gives the Cowboys protection in case Hardy faces a lengthy suspension and misses some games in 2015. The more Hardy plays and the more sacks he gets, the more money comes his way.

Pass rusher was a significant need for the Cowboys this offseason and they just landed the best one available. Two seasons ago Hardy recorded 15 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 59 total tackles. Hardy is a pass rush specialist, but is solid in the run game as well. Last year the Cowboys leader in sacks was Jeremy Mincey with an underwhelming total of 6. If Hardy can repeat his production from 2013, his presence will add a much-needed boost to Dallas’ defensive line.

As of now, Dallas has formidable defensive ends in Greg Hardy, Demarcus Lawrence, and Jeremy Mincey. Last year, Anthony Spencer and George Selvie played left defensive end, while Mincey and Lawrence manned the right side. This year, Hardy, Lawrence, and Mincey will most likely have to get experience playing both sides due to the expected departure of Spencer and Selvie. Tyrone Crawford really shined at defensive tackle last year, and looks to be a strong point along the line this upcoming season. While he’ll play the 3-tech position, a 1-tech is needed. Right now, Josh Brent and Terrell McClain own that spot. While they can be serviceable, a mid or late round draft pick could be used on a defensive tackle to add some depth, and challenge for the starting job next to Crawford. Some available options in the 2nd or 3rd round could include Carl Davis (Iowa), Xavier Cooper (Washington State), Gabe Wright (Auburn), and Michael Bennet (Ohio State).

Linebacker is a position that Dallas will probably have to address at some point before the 2015 season. Right now the crop consists of Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, Kyle Wilber, Cam Lawrence, along with newly signed Jasper Brinkley, Keith Rivers, and Andrew Gachkar. Bruce Carter and Justin Durant already signed with other clubs, so Rolando McClain is the last remaining Cowboy linebacker on the open market. If Dallas can re-sign McClain, they should be set next year with him Lee and Hitchens as the starters. If McClain decides to sign elsewhere they will probably look to the draft to add another linebacker to the roster. If Eric Kendricks (UCLA) is available at 27, he will have to be considered as their choice. His tape is excellent and he backed it up with a solid performance at his pro day. Three other solid options in round 2 are Denzel Perryman (Miami), Stephone Anthony (Clemson), and my personal favorite, Paul Dawson (TCU). Dawson ran a slow 40 time at the combine, but on the field he shows outstanding awareness, pursuit, and instincts. The former Horned Frog racked up 136 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions last season. If Dawson is on the board for the Cowboys in the 2nd round, he would be a great selection.

Lastly on defense is the secondary. This is where the Cowboys can really focus in on in the first couple rounds. Sterling Moore is likely off to another team, Morris Claiborne is just bad and can’t stay healthy, and Brandon Carr is likely to be cut within the next year or two. Barry Church is solid and JJ Wilcox isn’t terrible, but an upgrade could be used at safety. The only safety worthy of an early pick, in my opinion, is Landon Collins. He will likely be off the board at 27, but there will be plenty of cornerbacks available for Dallas to choose from. Some options in the 1st or 2nd round could include Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest), Jalen Collins (LSU), PJ Williams (Florida St), Ronald Darby (Florida St), Quinten Rollins (Miami of Ohio), Marcus Peters (Washington), Byron Jones (UConn), Kevin White (TCU), and Eric Rowe (Utah). If the Cowboys elect to take a corner at 27, keep an eye on Kevin Johnson. In the 2nd round, I like Quinten Rollins. Rollins only played cornerback for one year, and shows a lot of upside to take over for Carr or Claiborne if and when they departure from Dallas.

There is no doubt Greg Hardy fills a big role and gives the Cowboys more flexibility to focus on linebacker and cornerback in the draft. Hardy’s deal is only a 1-year deal so there’s no guarantee he will be there long-term. If however he performs well and stays out of trouble, I would not be surprised to see a long-term deal in place for Hardy next year.

Author: Troy Altbaum

Troy Altbaum, writer for The Runner Sports and lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan. Get all your latest Cowboys news and analysis here.