4. Kerry Hyder, DE/DT
At one point during the offseason, the Cowboys looked to have made a great under the radar signing in former Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder. In 2016, Hyder was one of the better defenders the Lions had, recording eight sacks as a rotational edge rusher. Then, he missed all of 2017 with a torn Achilles.
Hyder returned on a one-year deal in 2018 but played in just seven games. He finished with only six tackles and a sack as he worked his way back from the injury. After leaving the Lions, he landed in Dallas this offseason as one of their free agent additions.
Part of the issue this past season for Hyder was scheme fit. Detroit changed things up with a new coach in Matt Patricia and the veteran end seemed to get lost in the shuffle. In Dallas, he seems to have found a home that will better suit his skills, but they’ve also suddenly gotten deep at the edge position.
Hyder saw Dallas add Robert Quinn in free agency to start at the right end and they picked up Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks in free agency as well. There’s also still Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Dorance Armstrong, and eventually Randy Gregory (maybe). What could help him will be his ability to move inside on third downs, much like Crawford is able to do. The coaches love that kind of versatility, which is a huge plus, but it still won’t be easy.