The Dallas Cowboys ranked just 28th in sacks (28) last season, 26th in pass defense (251.9 yards) and 19th in overall defense (355.1 yards). So despite the off-field question marks, there's no doubt that free agent defensive end Greg Hardy can help this team on the field. Hardy, a second-team All-Pro in 2013, collected 26.0 sacks during the 2012-13 seasons. He's a 27-year-old natural pass-rusher on a team desperate to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
But Hardy is playing on just a one-year contract and will be suspended for four games. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys proceed with him if he produces upon his return along with rookie DE Randy Gregory and veteran Demarcus Lawrence. Will Dallas re-sign Hardy if its other options prove effective? It's a question that was posed to ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer in his weekly mailbag.
@toddarcher if Hardy, Lawrence, and Gregory all have great years, will they move on from Hardy or try to resign him? #cowboysmail
— Brian Schneider (@BrianSchneider8) August 20, 2015
"You don't let pass rusher just walk, but the Cowboys can't put the franchise tag on him so they might not have a choice in the matter," Archer wrote. "But let me answer the question with a question: Should the Cowboys look to sign Greg Hardy to a long-term deal now? Nothing too long or too crazy. Maybe a three-year deal for $12 million a year average? The Cowboys have lauded Hardy's work ethic. They say he has been a great teammate as well. Who knows what type of season he will have after he serves his suspension, but the Cowboys could be in a spot where they are buying low now when they might not be able to buy much higher later. Just a thought."
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt boasts the highest annual salary among defensive ends at more than $16.6 million. He's followed my Mario Williams ($16 million), Jason Pierre-Paul ($14.8 million), Robert Quinn ($14.2) and Charles Johnson ($12.6). Locking Hardy up now, assuming he has a good season, could save the Cowboys between $3-4 million per year. However, Dallas must also weigh Hardy's questionable off-field track record when discussing any potential extensions.
We'll see how it all plays out this season.
