Should the Dallas Cowboys add a veteran on defense?

The Dallas Cowboys are just over two months away from their first game of the season. As a result, over these next months, Dallas will most likely be looking to bolster their roster by any means necessary, especially on defense.

Last season, the Cowboys’ defense was arguably considered the worst in the NFL. By week 6, Dallas allowed a combined 218 points (36.33 points allowed per game), which is the most through six weeks since 1970. All year, this defense struggled against the run and allowed plenty of big plays.

Nonetheless, the Cowboys probably knew that defense was their biggest concern this offseason. Consequently, America’s Team did anything to fix it. They signed key players like safety Keanu Neal and safety Damontae Kazee. Additionally, they drafted eight defensive players in the 2021 NFL Draft.

However, one thing that could improve this Dallas defense is adding a veteran to this roster. The Cowboys don’t have one player on their defense with more than seven years of experience in the NFL. Adding a veteran and a leader will likely help these younger rookies progress as well.

 What player should the Dallas Cowboys add?

One position that could use a veteran on the Cowboys’ roster is at defensive tackle. According to espn.com, Dallas is expected to start Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill at the defensive tackle position at the beginning of the season.

Both Gallimore (24) and Hill (23) are still extremely young. Bringing a veteran on board will not only help those players improve but also help the Cowboys’ defense as a team.

There are still a couple of big names players who have yet to be signed including defensive tackles Geno Atkins, Kawann Short, and Jurrell Casey. All three players are at least 31 years old and have played in the NFL for at least eight seasons.

Nevertheless, the one player that Dallas should look to add is defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. The former five-time Pro Bowler was a key piece to the Tennessee Titans defense from 2011-2019. During this span, he had 51.0 sacks, 493 combined tackles, and 115 quarterback hits.

Although Casey isn’t in his prime anymore, he can still possibly be a solid addition to this Dallas defense. Although the 31-year-old is coming off a season-ending bicep injury, this could play in the Cowboys’ favor. They could get the former USC star for a cheap one-year contract similar to Neal’s deal.

Before tearing his bicep, Casey started all three games for the Denver Broncos where he totaled 14 tackles and two quarterback hits. Even though he is getting up there in age, there is no reason to believe that he still can’t make an impact on Dallas’ defense.

The Dallas Cowboys did something like this last season when they tried to sign multiple veteran free agents. They signed defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, two players who had been in the league for years. However, both players didn’t pan out.

McCoy got hurt before the season started and Poe was cut just weeks into the season. This could play a factor in the Cowboys’ approach for not targeting an older player. However, signing a player like Casey could really improve this defense and give the younger players a veteran to look up to.