The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a veteran linebacker this offseason thanks to a depleted position group. DeMarvion Overshown is expected to miss time early in the season as he recovers from his season-ending knee injury from last December. Marist Liufau is coming off a promising, yet inconsistent, rookie season. Damone Clark is coming off his most disappointing season as a pro, the fewest defensive snaps of his career, and may be too costly to keep around. And the rest of the bunch is a collection of special teams projects and role players.
The 2024 NFL draft is a likely source, but rookies are inconsistent and unpredictable so the real answers will probably have to be found in free agency. The Cowboys, not ones to spend big on outside free agents, will have the difficult, yet familiar, task of bargain hunting for veteran talent. As luck would have it the best option may be sitting right under their nose.
Eric Kendricks, signed last March as a former Mike Zimmer disciple, was steady force for the Cowboy in 2024. He wasn’t the same explosive player he used to be in those Minnesota days, but he was everything the Cowboys needed and came at a very affordable price. Looking at salary projections again for 2025, Kendricks might just be that same bang for the buck player he was last year, making him an attractive option to re-sign.
The defensive system might be changing in Dallas, but many of the roles and responsibilities stay the same. Matt Eberflus isn’t as exotic as Zimmer was in his blitz packages but he’s demanding in run fits and a stickler for his coverages. Any slippage Kendricks has physically endured, the 33-year-old makes up for in intelligence. It’s an element that’s been generally lacking on the Dallas defense and something worth reinvesting in this offseason if the price estimates are to be trusted.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kendricks comes in as the 98th best free agent this offseason. He’s only the 10th-best free agent at the LB position but he’s coming off an extremely solid season where he graded 14th overall. After making over $50 million over the course of his career as a former second-round pick, he’s only expected to garner a one-year, $4 million contract in free agency.
If he can perform anything like he did one season before that would be tremendous bang for the buck for the Cowboys.
Dallas may not be able to offer Kendricks a Zimmer defense anymore, but they can offer a starting position and heavy workload. That’s something that could be extremely attractive for Kendricks.
It’s tempting to look at the free agent market and dream of different options the Cowboys could plug into their vacant LB position this year, but the best option may be right underneath their nose.
