The Dallas Cowboys have made an entire brand out of chasing flashy stars, but they missed a golden opportunity to add another one to their collection when they refused to show any interest in future Hall of Famer Von Miller. After all, Miller is a DeSoto native and Texas A&M alum.
Miller's NFL career is hanging on by a thread after a disaster of a stint with the Buffalo Bills, but there is still more than enough talent needed to become a high-end situational pass rusher.
Miller has not only chosen not to join the Cowboys, but he will join one of their biggest rivals by signing with the Washington Commanders. Miller is reportedly going to sign a one-year deal with Washington, which is somewhat lacking in the pass rush department as they remake their defense.
Is it unreasonable to assume that if Dallas offered Miller a similar contract, he would have had a very hard time saying no? That inaction cost Cowboys fans the chance to know that answer.
Cowboys blow chance to get Von Miller to return to Texas
The Cowboys have their two starting pass rushers in all-world dynamo Micah Parsons and veteran Dante Fowler Jr. locked in stone, but the rest of the depth chart is completely unsettled. A trio of former second-round picks in Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku are fighting for space.
Miller would not have cost a ton to bring in, as the amount of money Buffalo has yet to pay him suggests that he could have come to town on a relatively cheap contract and still played a productive role. Miller may have signed with Dallas due to the recent direction of the franchise.
Between the coaching instability that led to Brian Schottenheimer and the fact that it would be a major upset if the Cowboys finish any better than third in the division due to Washington and Philadelphia emerging as Super Bowl contenders, Miller's quest for another ring might not be very fruitful if he comes to Dallas.
Even in a very compromised state at this point in a career that will eventually end in Canton, Miller could have given this Cowboys pass rush a degree of pedigree and speed off the edge that could have set them apart in a crowded division. Now the native son of Texas will get two opportunities to beat up on Dak Prescott.