There is no secret the Dallas Cowboys need some more depth at the defensive end position. One way they could fix what ails them is to look at the free agent market.
The Dallas Cowboys have a bit of a problem now at the defensive end position, beginning with the four-game suspension of Randy Gregory, as their overall depth of the position could have a shake-up this offseason.
The Cowboys are not only losing Gregory for the first four games of the season due to violating the NFL substance abuse policy, but they will most likely not re-sign Greg Hardy to a contract, and former second-round selection DeMarcus Lawrence is still learning the ropes after playing his first full year on the field.
Related Story: Mock Draft: Will the Dallas Cowboys go defense?
Though Gregory’s numbers don’t jump off the page from his rookie season (11 tackles in 12 games played), his future could be great for the Cowboys, but he’s going to be behind at the start of this season in terms of actual game action, and the Cowboys need to find a suitable replacement for these pending missed games.
On Friday afternoon, the Los Angeles Rams released three key veterans off their roster, including defensive end Chris Long, who is a former No. 2 overall selection from the 2008 draft, so now, why not ask: Could the Dallas Cowboys make an offer to the 30-year-old Long?
The past two seasons for Long haven’t been what anyone would call productive … in fact, they aren’t great at all. From the 2014 and ’15 seasons, Long has totaled just four sacks and 24 total tackles in 16 combined games, including playing in 12 this past season.
From ’08-13, Long did not miss a game for the Rams, but in the past two seasons, he’s missed a combined 14 games, with four of those missed games last season due to a knee issue.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wrote this of Long on Friday:
"“Between the 2010 and 2013 seasons, Long posted 41.5 sacks, which ranks fifth among defensive linemen. But over the last two seasons, Long has posted a total of 4.0 sacks, which ranks tied for 101st among players at his position.”"
Now the question is this … How much does Long have left in the tank after eight seasons already in the league?
Pro Football Focus graded Long’s ’15 season with an overall grade of 48.6 (on a score of 100) as he played in 314 passing snaps and 177 run snaps in ’15. Of all edge rushers in the NFL, Long was ranked 98th of 110 players. For comparison purposes, the No. 1 ranked edge rusher was Khalil Mack of the Oakland Raiders with a 95.8 overall number.
For the Cowboys, their top edge rusher last season according to PFF was Lawrence at 83.9, 18th overall, followed by Hardy (81.9) and Jeremy Mincey at 72.9, with the latter two being unrestricted free agents.
Long’s best seasons came in 2011 and ’12 when he hit the 13-sack mark in ’11 and 11.5-sack mark in ’12. Even in ’13, he had 8.5 sacks, but the past two seasons the injury bug has hit him, resulting in a decline in his play, which ultimately results in a decline in his overall numbers, leading to being released and gaining the title of an unrestricted free agent.
If looking at the Cowboys as an overall defense, what I like about Long being a possible addition to the unit are his leadership abilities, his past performance and he could become a motivated player with this being the first time he’s been released in his NFL career after being a No. 2 overall pick.
Don’t forget, the Cowboys use a 4-3 scheme for their defense under Rod Marinelli as their defensive coordinator, and at times with the Rams with Greg Williams as their defensive coordinator, Long basically played with a 4-3 scheme.
That said, it comes down to a “what have you done for me lately” type of assessment, and Long just hasn’t put up the numbers of a former first-round selection, so if the Cowboys were to even show some interest in him, it shouldn’t be even near breaking the bank.
The veteran presence of Long might do the Cowboys some good, and Long even knows he needs to improve his overall play, as he wrote this on Instagram:
"“Bottom line is- this is a production business. No excuses … It’s been painful to experience because I care deeply about my performance and my responsibility to my teammates. Before the last two years I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish in St. Louis. I’m not surprised, but it doesn’t make it any easier to leave your family.”"
Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but a change of scenery could spark the old Long back on the field. Of course, he’ll have to stay healthy, but maybe the Cowboys should kick the tires so to speak on Long, as he could provide depth at a position in which all of a sudden they are hurting. A possible signing of Long won’t be like having J.J. Watt version 2.0 or anything like that, but he could be a nice piece of a rotation fit, because when healthy and on the field, the play of Long is pretty solid.
Long could also mentor the young defensive linemen already on the roster in Gregory and Lawrence, as they have some pressures on them to perform at a very high level after being second-round choices.
More nfl spin zone: Cowboys: 5 Questions Worth Asking
I’m not sold on the fact the Cowboys need to spend a lot of their cap room cash on Long, but adding him to the roster wouldn’t hurt the defense, and who knows … if he can get even back to 80 percent of his past form, that would be a solid addition to any roster in the league.