It didn't take long until the Dallas Cowboys' regular-season finale devolved into a preseason game. Dak Prescott only played the first half before Joe Milton took over, and the defense, despite playing its starters for most of the game, delivered a lousy effort from the opening snap.
While most of his teammates should hang their heads in shame, Jadeveon Clowney stood tall once again in a meaningless game. He's been the lone bright spot on the Cowboys' defense this season, and he was a one-man wrecking crew against the New York Giants.
On the call for FOX, former Cowboy Daryl Johnston couldn't help but praise Clowney's motor. After Clowney picked up his third (!) sack of the game, Johnston said that re-signing the 32-year-old should be a priority.
“That’s an offseason move that has to be done quickly," Johnston said.
Daryl Johnston thinks the Cowboys should re-sign Jadeveon Clowney
Johnston hit the nail right on the head.
The Cowboys didn't sign Clowney until the middle of September, immediately following their 40-40 tie against the Green Bay Packers. And yet, he finished the season first on the team with 8.5 sacks in just 13 games, culminating in the first three-sack game of his career on Sunday. He added four tackles for loss, five pressures, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Dallas' defense allowed the Giants to score points on 6 of 8 possessions. If not for Clowney, they easily would've put up a 40-burger.
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Jerry Jones has a lot of business to attend to after the season. Firing Matt Eberflus should be atop the agenda, but re-signing Clowney should be right up there with retaining George Pickens and Javonte Williams. A case can be made that it should take precedence over Pickens and Williams. Not only should his contract be a lot easier to negotiate, but he wants to stay in Dallas.
Edge rusher is the Cowboys’ biggest need. Second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku showed plenty of promise as a rookie, but he’s still developing as a pass-rusher.
Even if Dallas uses multiple picks on the position, Clowney should be brought back. He’s still capable of producing at a high level and is a perfect fit for the culture Brian Schottenheimer is trying to build. Re-signing him should be the easiest thing Jones does all offseason.