CNNSI: best bang for the bucks
2. Cedric Thornton, DL, Cowboys
Four years, $17 million ($9 million guaranteed)
The former Eagle has only four sacks in four NFL seasons, so there’s a perception that he’s a lower-tier signing. Not true. On first and second down, Thornton is as good as almost any NFL D-lineman. He has brute strength, lateral mobility and a knack for locating the ball. He can also penetrate against the run. The only hesitation with him in Dallas is, Where does he play along the 4-3 front? As a 3-4 end with the Eagles, Thornton was great because he could two-gap or one-gap, depending on the formation. The only position that calls for two-gapping in a 4-3 scheme such as Rod Marinelli’s is the nose shade. Thornton has never played there full-time, and at 6-3, he might be a tad tall for the role. The other option: playing him at 3-technique, where he’d rotate with Tyrone Crawford on base downs and maybe get a few more nickel pass-rushing opportunities than he did in Philadelphia. However Thornton winds up being used, let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture: The Cowboys got a very good player.
