6 Dallas Cowboys free-agent defenders: Retain or liberate?

DL – Tyrone Crawford

I want to start out by saying that I like Tyrone Crawford but do not love him. I have to give him credit for being patient while every defensive line coach moved him around to try and find the best place for him.

The only problem with Crawford has been the inability of multiple coaches to leave him in a single spot to thrive. Shifting from defensive end to defensive tackle has taken its toll on his body and Crawford has to be the poster-child for positionless players.

I cringed when the Dallas Cowboys gave him a five-year, $45 million dollar deal. He has not even come close to what the Cowboys envisioned when they signed him to that deal but he has been valuable. Crawford has often been that stop-gap piece to fill a defensive line void.

If Crawford does return, I hope he realizes that the Dallas Cowboys massively overpaid for his service and he returns the favor by accepting a team-friendly deal that is free of any guarantees to give this generous front office the flexibility to move him without penalty.

There does not seem to be any defensive lineman worthy of a top ten selection so unless the Cowboys trade back, free agency is going to have to be the main provider for fixing this often neglected position no matter what scheme they decide to use.

One technique Dalvin Tomlinson of the New York Giants would not only fill a position of need but hurt a division foe. New Orleans Saints penetrating three-technique Sheldon Rankins also has my eye as this first-rounder is currently a starter for the league’s number one defense.