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Cowboys show no interest in Dwight Freeney, for now, to replace Gregory
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- With Randy Gregory's suspension Tuesday growing from four games to 10 games, it had no impact on the Dallas Cowboys’ approach to improving their pass rush. They still have no interest in Dwight Freeney or Greg Hardy.
Freeney is the best pass-rusher on the free-agent market not named Hardy. Two sources in the Cowboys' front office said they had no interest in bringing Hardy back no matter how much they seemingly need to improve their pass rush.
Freeney would seem to be a reasonable option for a team whose career leaders in sacks are cornerback Orlando Scandrick and suspended linebacker Rolando McClain, with 9.5 sacks each. Freeney, a 14-year veteran, ranks 19th in the NFL all time with 119.5 sacks and played well for the Arizona Cardinals in 11 games last year, helping them reach the NFC Championship Game.
In 11 games, Freeney had eight sacks and three forced fumbles. The Cowboys don't have a defensive end on the roster with more than eight career sacks.
Still, the Cowboys want to see what they have in players such as fourth-round pick Charles Tapper and free-agent acquisition Benson Mayowa, who has two sacks in 30 games, before they go the veteran route. DeMarcus Lawrence, who had a team-high eight sacks last season, is suspended for the first four games after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
At age 36, it's unlikely Freeney wants to go through the rigors of training camp. In Arizona, which signed him in October, he usually played between 20 and 28 plays a game in passing situations. He played a season-high 33 snaps against Green Bay in a divisional playoff game.
The Cowboys would prefer to sign a veteran such as Freeney after the first game of the season. That way his contract, probably for the veterans minimum, wouldn't be guaranteed.
While the Cowboys take a patient approach, there's no guarantee Freeney will be available when or if they finally call him.
Hardy, who spent last season with the Cowboys, remains available. He worked out with Jacksonville last week, and the Redskins have reportedly had some internal discussions about signing him. He missed the final 15 games of the 2014 season after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for his role in a domestic violence incident.
The league later suspended Hardy for the first four games of 2015 for violating its personal conduct policy.
Hardy was disruptive off the field for the Cowboys last year, and his production didn't come close to meeting expectations. He finished with six sacks for the 4-12 Cowboys.
Gregory, a first-round talent, slipped into the end of the second round because of his issues related to marijuana. He tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine before last year’s draft. He had a strong preseason but sprained his ankle in the opener and failed to record a sack in 12 games.
The Cowboys hoped he could show some of his potential this year. They discussed his potential because he had done nothing tangible to prove his value.
Players like that aren't necessarily hard to replace.
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- With Randy Gregory's suspension Tuesday growing from four games to 10 games, it had no impact on the Dallas Cowboys’ approach to improving their pass rush. They still have no interest in Dwight Freeney or Greg Hardy.
Freeney is the best pass-rusher on the free-agent market not named Hardy. Two sources in the Cowboys' front office said they had no interest in bringing Hardy back no matter how much they seemingly need to improve their pass rush.
Freeney would seem to be a reasonable option for a team whose career leaders in sacks are cornerback Orlando Scandrick and suspended linebacker Rolando McClain, with 9.5 sacks each. Freeney, a 14-year veteran, ranks 19th in the NFL all time with 119.5 sacks and played well for the Arizona Cardinals in 11 games last year, helping them reach the NFC Championship Game.
In 11 games, Freeney had eight sacks and three forced fumbles. The Cowboys don't have a defensive end on the roster with more than eight career sacks.
Still, the Cowboys want to see what they have in players such as fourth-round pick Charles Tapper and free-agent acquisition Benson Mayowa, who has two sacks in 30 games, before they go the veteran route. DeMarcus Lawrence, who had a team-high eight sacks last season, is suspended for the first four games after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
At age 36, it's unlikely Freeney wants to go through the rigors of training camp. In Arizona, which signed him in October, he usually played between 20 and 28 plays a game in passing situations. He played a season-high 33 snaps against Green Bay in a divisional playoff game.
The Cowboys would prefer to sign a veteran such as Freeney after the first game of the season. That way his contract, probably for the veterans minimum, wouldn't be guaranteed.
While the Cowboys take a patient approach, there's no guarantee Freeney will be available when or if they finally call him.
Hardy, who spent last season with the Cowboys, remains available. He worked out with Jacksonville last week, and the Redskins have reportedly had some internal discussions about signing him. He missed the final 15 games of the 2014 season after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for his role in a domestic violence incident.
The league later suspended Hardy for the first four games of 2015 for violating its personal conduct policy.
Hardy was disruptive off the field for the Cowboys last year, and his production didn't come close to meeting expectations. He finished with six sacks for the 4-12 Cowboys.
Gregory, a first-round talent, slipped into the end of the second round because of his issues related to marijuana. He tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine before last year’s draft. He had a strong preseason but sprained his ankle in the opener and failed to record a sack in 12 games.
The Cowboys hoped he could show some of his potential this year. They discussed his potential because he had done nothing tangible to prove his value.
Players like that aren't necessarily hard to replace.