The Dallas Cowboys defense wasn’t as bad as fans feared it would be last season. But there was one aspect of it that will have to get better if the team is going to win a playoff game— the pass rush. It appears that they may have found some help on the free agent market.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Cowboys have signed former Jets defensive end Kony Ealy.
Ealy got drafted in the second round in 2014 by the Carolina Panthers. He was a reasonably consistent producer for the Panthers for the next three seasons, recording four, five, and five sacks respectively. But it wasn’t enough for the Panthers, so they traded him to the New England Patriots along with a third-round pick for a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft.
New England ended up letting him go prior to the start of the season. Dallas put in a waiver claim for him, but he was awarded to the New York Jets instead. He ended up playing in 15 games for the Jets, started four, deflected nine passes, and intercepted one. He also recorded one sack.
So, how much help Ealy will be to the Cowboys remains to be seen. But he is just 26 years old and isn’t going to cost the team much. He could either be a really smart, savvy move or one that will get characterized as “no harm, no foul.”
What’s surprising is that the Cowboys have now signed six free agents during the offseason. The last time they signed as many was in 2012 when they picked up seven. They didn’t go after any big-name, high-dollar guys, but they got players that could very well make a significant impact on the team next season.
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