6 Cowboys players whose time is running out in Dallas

Tyrone Crawford, DE

After posting a 2.0 sack game in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford returned to Earth on Sunday versus the San Francisco 49ers. He registered just two tackles and has likely played one of his final games as a member of the Cowboys.

Crawford has enjoyed an eight-year career as a utility player for the Cowboys being a jack of all trades but master of none along the defensive line. And while that kind of position-flex can be a valuable commodity for a team, Crawford was paid to be much more. He was supposed to be the centerpiece of Rod Marinelli’s defensive scheme, the team’s former defensive coordinator.

Crawford inked a massive five-year, $45 million extension to be an elite disruptor from the three-technique defensive tackle position back in 2015. Instead, he became a costly moveable chess piece used to fill holes along the line when others were either injured or there was a lack of talent at a particular spot.

This past offseason, Crawford had double-hip surgery. And despite a $9.1 million salary-cap hit for 2020, he’s been all but invisible until recording those two sacks against the Bengals (his first of the season). In just two more games, his hotly-debated contract in Dallas will finally be fulfilled and the 31-year old’s time as a member of America’s Team should be over.