Dallas Cowboys: Ranking new additions by order of importance
By Randy Gurzi
7. Brent Urban, DT
It seems as though once per offseason, the Cowboys front office finds a player that wasn’t on too many radars but is able to come in and perform admirably. In the past, it was players such as Antwaun Woods, Aldon Smith, or even linebacker Joe Thomas who filled in nicely at linebacker at times.
None of those players were considered Pro Bowlers, but they did what was asked of them and they did so on the cheap. In 2021, they might have found that once again with veteran defensive tackle Brent Urban.
A solid run-stuffer, Urban is a Canadian-born player who was taking in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens as well as the second round of the CFL Draft where the Hamilton Tiger-Cats secured his rights.
He ended up staying in the NFL, playing five seasons in Baltimore before a short stint in Tennessee followed by a year and a half in Chicago. Last season with the Bears, he had 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks while starting eight games and appearing in all 16.
Urban could start for Dallas as the three-technique but it also wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him provide some veteran depth if one of the youngsters pushes him out of a spot. Either way, they landed a savvy player with a high football IQ who does the dirty work. That’s never a bad move.