The Dallas Cowboys made their first outside signing in free agency on Wednesday, snagging linebacker Eric Kendricks out of the 49ers’ clutches at the 11th hour. Kendricks joins the Cowboys as he comes out of a one-year stint with the L.A. Chargers.
He was a second-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of UCLA and he made an impact in every season before going to the Chargers in free agency last year. In 2023, he had 117 tackles in 15 games played, along with 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Kendricks started in all but three games he played for in Minnesota. From the time the linebacker was a rookie, he was an impact player. In 17 games in 2022, Kendricks recorded 137 tackles and eight tackles for a loss.
Over the first nine years of his career, Kendricks has tallied 1,036 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 57 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, six recoveries and nine interceptions. He’s also played in three postseason games, racking up 19 tackles with one sack and one interception. He earned All-Pro First-Team honors and a Pro Bowl nomination after the 2019 season.
Kendricks was a central figure of the Minnesota Vikings defense during new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s time as head coach. It’s not surprising that Zimmer wanted to reunite with the veteran given his availability this cycle and Dallas’ need for linebackers. Even with the addition of Kendricks, the team will likely still need to draft a linebacker who could be ready to contribute in 2024.
Cowboys await decision from Leighton Vander Esch
Before the Cowboys begin making their picks next month at the NFL Draft, the team will need to know the status of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Vander Esch went on Injured Reserve after Week 5 due to a neck injury and never made it back to the active roster. There was concern at the time that the former first-rounder would miss not only the rest of the season due to injury, but also potentially end his career in the NFL.
On Tuesday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones provided very little in terms of a concrete update on the “Wolf Hunter.” After revealing that linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Trevon Diggs could be back to full-go by training camp, Jones said that it will be up to Vander Esch to share the latest with his health. Unfortunately, it sounds like the veteran linebacker is weighing a potential retirement before his seventh season.
“We’ll let Leighton speak to that,” Jones said. “It’s an injury issue that he’s getting his hands around. He’ll speak to that.”
Through the first five games of the 2023 season prior to injury, Vander Esch tallied 30 tackles, including 17 solo stops. He has also recovered one fumble. He still has another year left on his two-year, $8 million contract.
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