Dallas Cowboys still in need of defensive edge help

Even with the recent reinstatement of Randy Gregory and the signing of Aldon Smith, the Dallas Cowboys still need to address their defensive edge spot.

The Dallas Cowboys are definitely trying. I mean they are literally turning over any and every rock they find. Still, more needs to be done.

Yes, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement helped in the reinstatement of Randy Gregory. Of course, the signing of Aldon Smith was a big shock to almost everyone outside the walls of “The Star.” Still, these moves do not end the Dallas Cowboys need to solidify the edge-rushing position along the defensive line. The reasons are many.

First and foremost, aside from DeMarcus Lawrence, the most prolific sack artists along the defensive line are newly signed veterans Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, both of whom play on the interior of the line. Sure, Smith racked up 42 sacks in his first three seasons. He also has not played since 2013. Let’s just go ahead and have cautious optimism as to what he can bring to the table.

As for Gregory, I wrote about what your expectations should be for him. With just 7.0 sacks in 28 games, I wouldn’t hold my breath hoping for a double-digit breakout season in 2020.

That leaves Dorance Armstrong, Jalen Jelks, Joe Jackson and … maybe … Tyrone Crawford. The Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of guys they can throw at the problem of getting after the opposing quarterback. I’m just not convinced any of them will be successful at accomplishing that task.

I stumped for an Everson Griffen signing all week last week and instead, the news of Aldon Smith came to fruition. While beggars can’t be choosers, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that bringing in Smith was the better move of the two. Aside from Griffen, the only other free agent out there who could be a game-changing addition is Jadeveon Clowney. I’m sure we all know that’s highly unlikely to happen.

That will leave the draft for the Dallas Cowboys to obtain more help along the edge. Unfortunately, I’m pretty confident that they have googly eyes for Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson. That’s not a bad thing by any means, it just doesn’t fill a void in the sack category.

In the event that Henderson is chosen prior to the Dallas Cowboys being on the clock with the 17th overall pick, they could opt to select LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson who, ironically is projected to have a similar career to… wait for it… Aldon Smith.

Chaisson would be a very intriguing addition. While he did not have eye-popping sack totals during his three-year stint in the Bayou, he did have his best season in 2019. He is also widely considered the second-best pass rusher in this draft. Most believe he is just starting to tap into his potential and should blossom at the next level under the right guidance.

The best part when considering adding Chaisson to the mix would be that with all of the other bodies Dallas does have at this position, he would not be looked at as a savior. With Smith, Gregory, and Armstrong already in tow, Chaisson could grow into a sack monster without feeling immediate pressure to post double-digit sack totals.

It will be very interesting to see what the Dallas Cowboys do if both he and Henderson are available. Regardless, Dallas must address their edge rush with one of their three top 100 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. It certainly feels like they need one more talented guy to add to the mix. Increasingly, this appears to be their final option to make that very move.