Should the Dallas Cowboys sign David Harris?

The Dallas Cowboys could be interested in the services of veteran linebacker David Harris as the team looks to bring back Jaylon Smith slowly.

The Dallas Cowboys will likely make some roster moves prior to training camp and even though they may not be flashy they could have a big effect on how the team performs throughout the season.

The recent release of New York Jets linebacker David Harris immediately makes him the next player linked to Dallas as they have a ton of defensive needs. The team finally has enough cap space to make a serious free agent addition, however, there are not a lot of options available this late in the offseason. Harris may be the best of the remaining players available on the open market.

The New York Jets linebacker has been described as the “glue” of the team’s defense throughout his time with the team. Harris is a leader in the locker room and can handle his own on the field.

He seemingly had no idea that the move was coming as he attended practice as usual. Apparently, his release came off the heels of a failed bid to give their top linebacker a pay cut.

The Jets have been rebuilding their entire roster so the team has had to say goodbye to plenty of talented veterans. While guys like Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis have yet to really draw any interest, Harris appears ready for the coming season.

He has also expressed that retirement could be an option as well but if such a talented, veteran player is on the market he could be a nice addition to a team that is trying to make a run at the Super Bowl.

The Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Oakland Raiders all come to mind even the New York Giants could be a landing spot for Harris. Then there is the question of, do the Cowboys actually need this guy?

The obvious answer is yes, for plenty of reasons but mainly to help ease second-year linebacker, Jaylon Smith back into the process of playing football. Smith could not have a better mentor than Harris who has been the “right kind of guy” for the Jets organization for quite some time.

He has also been available when it comes to being on the field, as he has barely missed a game. In 10 years he has only missed six contests, that kind of consistency is something the Cowboys wished they had, especially at the linebacker position.

Currently, the team has Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson, Kyle Wilber, Jaylon Smith, John Lotulelei, Joseph Jones, Mark Nzeocha, Kennan Gilchrist, Lucas Wacha, and Leslie Darnell as their linebackers heading into the season.

The stars of that group are Smith and Lee who have had plenty of injury issues in the past. Harris could be the “glue” for this linebacking corps especially as the team adds weapons to their defense.

The team could use Harris’s veteran skill set at a position that is far from solidified. He may cost more than your typical free agent at this point but the team should be able to sign him to a short-term contract while having suitable cap space to re-sign Zack Martin.

The Cowboys defense is where the team needs to show significant improvement especially during sophomore quarterback, Dak Prescott‘s second season as the starting quarterback. The more productive the defense the less pressure on the Cowboys young offense.

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Signing Harris would go against every tendency the Cowboys front office has shown this offseason. However, this is a situation that was fairly unexpected. He meets Jason Garrett‘s code when it comes to quality players, and would give defensive coordinator, Rod Marinelli a new wrinkle to add to his schemes.

Harris has the tenacity and quiet demeanor that would make him a perfect fit amongst Marinelli’s “Mighty Orphans”.