Dallas Cowboys sign a free agent defensive tackle with upside
The Dallas Cowboys have several needs along their defensive line and know appear to be addressing them with their latest signing on Thursday.
It can be argued that the Dallas Cowboys‘ biggest need going into free agency is along their defensive line. That due in large part to the recent loss of defensive tackle David Irving (not re-signed and suspended) and defensive end Randy Gregory (suspended). But it also goes back to the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, where the Dallas defense got ran all over to the tune of 273 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Despite the recent start of free agency, the Cowboys have been relatively quiet opting to re-sign some of their own players instead. Their first real dip into the open market was Thursday, with the signing of former Houston Texan defensive lineman Christian Covington. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, it’s a one-year deal with a salary cap number of $1.68 million.
Not to be confused with last year’s sixth-round pick out of Indiana, linebacker Chris Covington, Christian is a native of Canada. His father, Grove Covington, played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for 11 seasons, racking up a record 157.0 career sacks on his way to being elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
The junior Covington was a sixth-round selection out of Rice by the Houston Texans in 2015. Playing alongside the likes of defensive monsters in J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, Christian has been a versatile rotational piece for the Texans, with the ability to play any position along the line.
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During his four seasons in Houston, Covington has recorded a total of nine starts. His best season was just last year when he racked up 15 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in 12 games. At 6-foot-2, 302 pounds, the 25-year old Covington best projects as a defensive tackle in Dallas, but has the position-flex to play outside if needed. Pro Football Focus named him one of the Top-10 interior defensive linemen set to enter free agency in 2019.