3. Olivier Vernon, EDGE
A player the Cowboys know well, Olivier Vernon spent three seasons with the New York Giants after starting his career with the Miami Dolphins. While playing with them, he was one of the few players Tyron Smith really struggled with.
For that reason, Dallas fans were glad to see him traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 where he spent the past two seasons. Unfortunately for Vernon, he also spent those two years battling injuries.
He missed six games in 2019 due to knee problems and then in 2020, he tore his Achilles in Week 17. With his age (he will be 31 in October) there could be hesitancy to bring him onto a roster but the Cowboys would be wise to get him signed before anyone else tries.
While there could be a risk that Vernon will never be the same player, there’s just as much of a chance that he could be what he was before the injury — which was a top-tier pass-rusher and a solid defender against the run.
Before suffering the injury, Vernon put up nine sacks which was his best total since 2013. He can still get the job done and in Dallas, he would be part of a rotation that includes DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. That could be hard to stop.