Dallas Cowboys: J.J. Watt should 100 percent be targeted

J.J. Watt may not be in his prime but, following his release from Houston, the Dallas Cowboys should 100 percent be targeting him in free agency. 

There was speculation that J.J. Watt might be traded but, after a short time, the two sides instead settled on another form of departure. On Friday, the two parties agreed to mutually part ways, which now leaves Watt hitting the free-agent market. And that’s something that the Dallas Cowboys should be highly interested in.

Where in the NFL J.J. Watt might land is going to be discussed furiously until the moment he signs. And while there may be more attractive options for the five-time All-Pro and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (perhaps teaming up with brother T.J. in Pittsburgh), the Cowboys should be targeting him from the jump.

After all, Watt said in his statement following his release that he couldn’t imagine his life “without Texas in it”, so why wouldn’t the Cowboys look to make that a reality for him? More importantly, though, this is a player who would immediately provide Dallas with a necessary defensive boost.

The Dallas Cowboys defense would make massive strides with J.J. Watt in the mix.

Much has been made of the fact that J.J. Watt will be 32 years old when the 2021 season kicks off. That’s an undeniable truth and he may not be putting up 20-sack seasons anymore. But to say that he’s still not one of the best and most valuable defensive linemen in the NFL still is foolishness.

PFF noted on Twitter that, in every season in which he’s played enough snaps since he entered the league in 2011, Watt has graded out as a top-10 player at the position, including last season. Now imagine him on the Dallas Cowboys with a proven defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn and protection on the edges with Lawrence and, assuming he’s re-signed, Aldon Smith.

And for what it’s worth, Lawrence himself is clearly interested in teaming up with Watt:

Watt would give the Cowboys the movability and versatility that they loved about Tyrone Crawford but in a much more effective package. And this is a team that has been starving for defensive firepower for several years at this point. There’s no question that Watt would give them that to help a possible Super Bowl push.

Dallas has a tricky offseason to navigate with Dak Prescott still looking for a new contract and key players to retain. Having said that, if they have the ability to land J.J. Watt, they would be absolutely foolish to not kick the tires to try and bring the future Hall-of-Famer to America’s Team.