If you needed more proof that the Dallas Cowboys are moving with a different energy, they have struck a major trade hours before the unofficial start of free agency on Monday.
The Cowboys have traded for Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary, according to Diannia Russi of The Athletic.
A 2027 Day 3 pick is reportedly going back to Green Bay, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That's fair compensation, as the Packers were seemingly close to releasing Gary, who posted (and then deleted) on Instagram that he was being released in a parting message to the fan base.
The Dallas Cowboys have traded for Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary.
Rapoport has confirmed that Dallas is sending a 2027 fourth-round pick for Gary. That’s a steep price for a player who seemed to be on the verge of being released. It also continues a trend of the Cowboys surrendering fourth-round picks for players on the outs with their current teams.
If you take a step back, though, Christian Parker badly needs players who can get after the quarterback, and Gary has been a solid starter in the league for six seasons.
A first-round pick in 2019, Gary has tallied 37.5 sacks over the last five seasons. Just last year, he ranked 18th among edge defenders with 54 pressures and 12 quarterback hits. He faced a lot of favorable matchups with Micah Parsons consuming a lot of double teams and chips, but he was prolific at rushing the quarterback before Parsons' arrival.
It's important to note that Gary's effort was questioned a lot last season. The hope is that he'll be energized getting out of Green Bay, and he has a lot of ties with the Cowboys, having played with Kenny Clark and for Christian Parker. He also worked with Dallas' new pass rush specialist, B.T. Jordan.
At the end of the day, the Cowboys acquired a proven pass rusher for a Day 3 pick. That's a commendable pivot after being unable to land Maxx Crosby. Gary obviously isn't on the same tier as Crosby, so Dallas likely isn't done bolstering their edge room.