It was hardly a surprise that the Dallas Cowboys struggled to field a consistent pass rush after trading Micah Parsons.
When the dust settled, Jadeveon Clowney finished as Dallas' most productive pass rusher despite not signing until a month into the season. He agreed to terms with the Cowboys immediately after their 40-40 shootout against the Packers in Week 4.
Re-signing Clowney felt like the obvious move, but the front office all but shut the door on a reunion, seemingly viewing him as a poor fit in Christian Parker's defense. While that stance may not have changed, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo has given Cowboys fans a reason to believe a reunion isn't completely dead.
"I gather that some of his former teams are interested in him, which is pretty easy when you play for as many teams as he's played for. Let's see about Clowney here in the near future."
The Dallas Cowboys could still sign veteran DE Jadeveon Clowney
As Garafolo intimated, Clowney has been around the block. The former No. 1 overall pick of the Texans back in 2014, Clowney has also suited up for the Seahawks (2019), Titans (2020), Browns (2021-22), Ravens (2023), and Panthers (2024), respectively.
That reduces the likelihood of the Cowboys being involved, but it doesn't entirely rule them out, either. Of all of Clowney's former teams, Dallas arguably has the biggest need for a veteran pass rusher.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, a second-round pick last year, is expected to start opposite Rashan Gary, but he's coming off offseason labrum surgery. He's expected to be healthy for training camp, but recovery timelines have a penchant for changing, and hip surgery is no walk in the park.
Gary was a good pickup, but Dallas didn't trade for him because of his pass-rush win rate. While he's an excellent run defender, he's not going to keep quarterbacks awake the night before a game.
The hope is that first-round pick Malachi Lawrence will energize the pass rush, but asking a rookie to carry that burden is dangerous, even in a specialist role. Look at how difficult it was for Ezeiruaku to consistently win off the edge as an NFL freshman. Lawrence has immense upside, but immediate dominance should not be the expectation.
Re-signing Clowney would lessen the burden on everybody. Not to mention, it would reduce the chances that Sam Williams and Marist Liufau see the field. A rotation featuring Gary and Ezeiruaku with Lawrence and Clowney pinning their ears back on passing downs would be capable of wearing down offensive lines over fourth quarters.
It would have shades of the Cowboys' 2023 edge room that flaunted Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler. The relentless wave kept offensive lines under constant pressure.
With Gary and Lawrence now in the fold, perhaps Dallas will be more lenient about Clowney's fit now that he'd be joining as a depth piece rather than a player they'd have to heavily rely on.
Hopefully, they are among the list of teams showing interest in the three-time Pro Bowler.
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