DALLAS — Jerry Jones thought he could count on Randy Gregory’s loyalty after he’d stood by the defensive end, and paid him, through thick and thin. Mostly the latter. Or he figured he was just protecting the Cowboys in the event of another relapse. Both cases are understandable. Also both mistakes, because Jerry, of all people, knows football is a business, and you have to know how to play it.
But before we come down too hard on the Joneses, you should know they can still fix this situation, not to mention the hole in their defense.
Sign up Von Miller, and all is forgiven.
Just in case, get Bobby Wagner, too.
The good news is, at least one current Cowboy and a famous former one are already out recruiting.
“There’s a missing spot in Dallas this year,” DeMarcus Ware said on Twitter. “I just talked to Von Miller. Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Von Miller.
“Sounds good to me.”
Must sound pretty good to Miller, too, because when Ware added that maybe he could mentor the trio this year, Miller retweeted with an eyeballs emoji. As in, check this out. Parsons — apparently unwilling to sit idly by while the Cowboys’ offseason goes up in flames — tagged Miller as well as Wagner, the free agent linebacker and former heart of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: The Joneses haven’t spent any money on free agents from outside the building since Brandon Carr burned them for five years, $50 million way back in 2012. Tired of cap overruns year after year and overpaying mediocre talent, to boot, Stephen instituted a policy of draft-and-develop, a strategy that not so coincidentally dovetailed with Will McClay’s command of the war room.
On paper, staying out of bidding wars isn’t a bad policy, either. But you don’t win Super Bowls on paper. You win them on the blood, sweat and talent of stars, as the Rams proved at SoFi Stadium in February.
Miller, you may remember, collected two of the Rams’ seven sacks. He lived up to Sean McVay’s wildest dreams with five sacks in eight games regular-season games. Not bad for a guy who turns 33 before the end of the month.
Besides the price tag Miller would command — three years, $50 million? — his age would certainly be a factor at this point in his career. Except for 2013, when he played nine games, and 2020, which he missed altogether after ankle surgery, Miller has never played fewer than 15 games in a season. Gregory, three years younger, missed 2017 and ‘19 and averaged just 10 games a year even when he was working for a living.
Miller, who’s led the league in sacks since 2011 and averaged more quarterback hits since 2016 than anyone in the league, is a Hall of Famer. Gregory remains mostly a tease. But, if he can remain on the field, he’s still a player on the rise.
Miller’s peak is behind him, so the question is, how much does he have left?
The Cowboys asked the same question about Ware after he posted six sacks at 31 after the 2013 season. Coming off three straight 8-8 seasons, they weren’t inclined to finance Ware’s dotage, so they let him walk to Denver. With Miller on the other end, Ware responded with 10 sacks at 32 years old. The Broncos made two Super Bowls in Ware’s three seasons in Denver, winning it all in his final game, in which he rallied for two sacks, half his season total.
Great players tend to rise to the occasion, but it helps when you have more than one to do the heavy lifting. Aaron Donald practically pulled SoFi Stadium down around the ears of Joe Burrow and the Bengals, making lighter work for the likes of Miller. No other NFL player is as good as Donald, but Parsons and Lawrence make a pretty nice pair.
Because of Parsons’ pass-rushing prowess, maybe instead of playing 51 snaps a game, like he did last season, Miller plays 40 and the Cowboys get a more energized pass-rusher as a result.
Meanwhile, Wagner, who at 31, doesn’t seem to have lost much, would pair up with Parsons instead of Leighton Vander Esch. Nothing against the Wolf Hunter, but that’s an upgrade.
Chances are the combination of Miller and Wagner would cost the Cowboys more than they planned on spending on outside talent. They went for low-cost alternatives last seasons and were proud of their return on investment. A little too proud, if you ask me. For the most part, you should count on kids as role players until they grow into something larger.
Players such as Miller and Wagner — guys with Lombardis on their mantels — do more than fill roles. They bring gravitas. Among the Cowboys’ many sins last season was a flaming case of false bravado. They talked a good game, but what has any of them won? Miller and Wagner are winners. Signing both might be difficult, if not improbable, but it would be money well spent, nonetheless.
Might also placate all those angry consumers practically apoplectic at the sight of the parade leading out of the doors at the Star. Give them something to show for all their suffering, Jerry. Make them believe you really were angry about how it ended in January and you’re actually doing something this offseason. Other than consulting your lawyers, that is.
