The Dallas Cowboys are finally on the board!
It took them until Day 3 of the 2024 NFL free agency but they've made somewhat of a splash with their first outside signing of the year. A big part of why it can be considered a "splash" is the fact that linebacker Erick Kendricks had already reportedly agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers before the Cowboys flipped him.
Per The Athletic, Kendricks is signing a two-year deal with the Cowboys.
Zimmer's fit with the Cowboys was way too obvious since the moment the Los Angeles Chargers released him earlier in the month. Kendricks played for Zimmer from 2015-2021 and knows his system inside and out. Despite his being 32 years old, Kendricks can make an immediate impact after racking up his eighth consecutive season with over 100 tackles.
Why Kendricks is a good signing for the Cowboys
A little bit over one week ago, I called Kendricks to the Cowboys a "way-too-obvious" move the team needed to pull off. Here's an excerpt of that article explaining why:
But mostly, Kendricks is somebody that can step in and fulfill the Cowboys' biggest need: Speeding up the learning curve behind Zimmer's defense.
For so many years, Kendricks brougth Zimmer's schemes to life: The double A-gap blitzes wouldn't have become so popular if it wasn't for him. In large part that's because Zimmer needs his guys to be versatile and do a little bit of everything. Kendricks can immediately do that while also helping teach players the scheme on the field.
Zimmer mentioned getting the team on the same page in terms of schematic language on his introductory press conference and there's no question having somebody like Kendricks in the locker room would provide serious value to a team that's (kind of) in a win-now mode.
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