What if the Dallas Cowboys "big move'' as the NFL's free agency period is here ... is about a "big guy''?
Defense is where the Cowboys need improvement, more specifically along the defensive line and at linebacker. Stopping the run was Dallas' kryptonite in 2023, and it was what ultimately sent them packing for a third straight season in the playoffs. ... and new coordinator Mike Zimmer has vowed to help his gang become "beefier,'' via quotes from personnel guru Will McClay.
Can that be done with a free agent signing that wouldn't break the bank?
Indianapolis’ Grover Stewart posted a career-high 77.3 run-defense grade in 2023, per PFF. He's 6-4 and 315 pounds. He's been a $10 million APY guy ... not an outrageous number. And he's 30, so there figures to be tread left on the tires.
Stewart would jump ahead of Dallas free agent Johnathan Hankins, a free agent who the Cowboys would like to bring back. And he can do the same while the team waits on the maturation of 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith.
What Stewart does best is what Dallas arguably needs most: His large frame means he can plug and fill running lanes, which could then lead to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence cleaning up.
Dallas has other needs, of course, in the offensive line and at linebacker, for certain. The April NFL Draft can help with some - but not all - of those.
The Grover Stewart idea isn't about overspending and it isn't about flash. It's about a grinder with size. It's about what Dallas needs.
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