Cowboys 10 worst free agent additions in the last decade

3. Dontari Poe, DT, 2020

For years, fans were begging for a nose tackle since Rod Marinelli was continuing to trot out undersized defensive tackles. Season after season, this led to his unit being bullied in the run game. Once he and head coach Jason Garrett were out, Mike McCarthy joined the franchise and hired Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator.

Despite the red flags surrounding Nolan — who clearly was no longer an elite defensive coach — we bought in since he wanted that big defensive tackle as well. Dallas even got one for him, signing Dontari Poe to a two-year contract.

Selected at No. 11 overall back in the 2012 NFL Draft, Poe was a 346-pounder who spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, one with the Atlanta Falcons, and two with the Carolina Panthers before joining Dallas.

He was at his best back in 2013 and 2014 when he made the Pro Bowl and had 10.5 sacks in that span.

However, he was nowhere near as impactful in Dallas. Poe managed to record just seven tackles in seven games before being released. And while the Cowboys defensive line never looked that strong in 2020, they were vastly improved as soon as they moved on from Poe — who was clearly holding them back.

He’s also never taken another snap in the NFL, with his failed run in Dallas serving as his last stand.